Las_Barracudas
Joined: Apr 24, 2011
Posts: 1087
Surf City, NC
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Posted on Oct 29 2016 08:15 AM
Just wondering if anyone here ever uses a keyboard or synth for Surf music songwriting?
I used to have an Alesis mini synth that I used live with the Meteor IV and found that it was sometimes useful for songwriting and composing new ideas.
Sold it a while back but now considering purchasing a new one.
— METEOR IV on reverbnation
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crumble
Joined: Sep 09, 2008
Posts: 3158
Guildford England
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Posted on Oct 29 2016 12:18 PM
I can confirm the Teenage Engineering OP-1 is capable of just about any kind music. I recently tried it with Steve's Springy Surf Drum Loops and a dirty bass with staggeringly good results.
Last edited: Oct 29, 2016 12:24:53
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Las_Barracudas
Joined: Apr 24, 2011
Posts: 1087
Surf City, NC
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Posted on Oct 29 2016 01:49 PM
crumble wrote:
I can confirm the Teenage Engineering OP-1 is capable of just about any kind music. I recently tried it with Steve's Springy Surf Drum Loops and a dirty bass with staggeringly good results.
Wow, that unit makes some cool sounds.
The keys look kind of small though.
— METEOR IV on reverbnation
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crumble
Joined: Sep 09, 2008
Posts: 3158
Guildford England
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Posted on Oct 29 2016 03:09 PM
Yes the keys look an impossibility! They are easy enough play though, no harder to use than a melodica I should imagine. T.E. OP-1 is designed by a small Swedish company of 8 people and made in Japan. The casing is milled from solid aluminum, the controls are said to be military spec. It has about 8 synth engines.
Last edited: Oct 29, 2016 15:10:45
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stevel
Joined: Oct 12, 2012
Posts: 219
Hampton Roads, Virginia
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Posted on Oct 30 2016 01:56 PM
Sure. But it depends on what you mean.
I use synth/workstations/sequencers for doing bass, drums, and other instrumental parts for songwriting. I could record live guitar tracks to them, or play live along with them like backing tracks.
Certainly, sounds in synthesizers can inspire you, just like certain effects for guitar, or even chord voicings on guitar could.
There's a LOT of stuff out there now in hardware and software format - it all depends on your needs, approach, and workflow.
If you think the keyboard is something you might use live, then a traditional Keyboard Synth (or better, Workstation) is a great idea if you want a self-contained unit (because otherwise it's hauling a computer and controller keyboard out).
I also like keyboard synths because it's something I can just turn on and play, without having to fire up the computer/DAW - so I see it as much more akin to guitar and effects in that way. And since mine has a sequencer built in (as well as a drum accompaniment feature) I'll use it for scratch ideas or playing along with on guitar, in much the same way I'll use my looper with guitar for playing along too or putting together some idea.
But I'll caution, I don't do much writing/composing these days, especially in any one genre. But they are tools. Find the tool you need, and it'll work for you - and may inspire you to boot!
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Redfeather
Joined: Jul 30, 2016
Posts: 889
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Posted on Dec 09 2016 11:44 PM
On the subject at hand, I am just beginning to experiment with keyboard instruments and so far have found them to be quite useful indeed. I first bought a Rhodes piano, which is a heavenly sound I could no longer live without, and now I've added a 49 key midi controller to my DAW setup because I didn't want to have to drag home a 500 pound Hammond to achieve the other heavenly sound I don't want to live without.
I don't play piano, mind you, so this is definitely a learning experience for me. It's very interesting to see how knowledge of the guitar transfers to piano and how different they can be for composing. I say go for it.
The usefulness of a midi controller really can't be overstated. With a $50 investment in Reaper, a $50 investment in a controller off craigslist, and a decent set of speakers or studio monitors, you can gain access to a vast array of sounds through free or not free VSTs available online. Drums, horns, organs, virtual synths... it's hours of fun! The other night I cranked out a fairly convincing facsimile of early analog Tangerine Dream and marveled at how convenient modern tech has made it.
Last edited: Dec 10, 2016 02:47:43
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