Joy of Synths #1

A non-musician’s guide to creating sounds for podcasts, videos, and sampling for music using analog synthesizers.

Jun 02, 2023

Top 3 Analog Synthesizers Under $250

Thanks for subscribing to Joy of Synths newsletter! CoWolves is the official sponsor of this newsletter. I've removed affiliate links because it makes no cents. The synths listed are priced thru Sweetwater and Perfect Circuit.

Your First Synth

As someone managing shopping mania, it's not in anyone's interest to encourage a “buy first” mindset. I've spent, kept, and returned enough gear so you don't have to.

Before we go into synths, let’s talk about line items for support gear. In addition to the synth, budget about $140 for MIDI keyboard or sequencer (if you go Behringer K2), $80 for audio cables and Eurorack patch cords of varying colors and lengths (K2), rechargeable batteries (Korg Volca Modular) and an audio recorder. Add $60 for discounted Reaper.fm audio software to edit and export your digital sound recordings.

Here are Summer 2023 First Time Synth Owner's Top 3 Recommendations!

1. Behringer K2. $199

For $199 at Sweetwater, you're losing money by not buying this semi-modular (prewired) synth. It has patch points that are fun to explore (they don't make sense at first glance) and miraculously, two filters with their own controls. Most synths come with one filter. Both filters can become self-resonating oscillators with the turn of dials full right. This is a clone based on the Korg MS-20 synth, which is also the basis of littleBits Korg Synth Kit, which retailed for $159 before it went out of stock/discontinued in 2021. For $40 more than the littleBits Synth Kit, you get a complete semi-modular synthesizer! Wow!

(Note: I bought, recorded, and returned the K2 because I have no room left in my synth cabinet, what with all the littleBits kits filling every space.)

2. Korg Volca Modular Micro Synth $169.99

This is an all-in-one self contained sound maker, speaker included. It uses pin cables for patching and has a CV IN, alas, it doesn't integrate with other synths in an obvious way, though it is possible if you use alligator clips. I took this with me to Philly- the retail box packs well, it's battery operated (get rechargeables!), and it records easily. Plus it has a digital reverb that shifts the sound into a different space. It also has a sequencer and so much other stuff I've yet to explore. It's a solid sound maker of the West Coast style, so it may not make sense initially, but it comes with so many features it's criminally cheap for $169. And Korg creating a lot of training videos on YouTube if you really want to get moving quickly. This is an instrument unto itself, and if you think you might want to go to modular, start with the Behringer K2.

(This was a gift- Thanks Frank! It has a learning curve but it’s good for ambient sounds if you turn the delay full right.)

3. East Beast $249.99

This used to be my #1 synth recommendation until I tried integrating it with my make-shift modular modules. (Likely user error). It's a pared down Pittsburgh Modular SV-1b. It has one oscillator, 1 LFO, a PGH Filter that does not self resonate, and an Envelope Generator. I bought it manuf direct for the PGH Filter, but after playing with the K2, there's a lot to be said for self-resonating filters… AND there's a lot to be said for the PGH Filter not having dead spots where sound drops out. The drawback is the button pad is clacky, which shouldn't be a big deal but turns out to be annoying if you're pressing down to hear the rise and fall of a sound and it's always preceded with "clack.”

You can find this for $25 less if you shop 10% off holiday coupon codes at places like Perfect Circuit. Perfect Circuit hasn't been charging me tax with free shipping, so look there if this interests you.

4. littleBits Electronic Music Inventor Kit / littleBits Synth Kit

I had a crazy shopping mania with littleBits. This is a modular system that allows you to built a sound by connecting different modules together. Playing with littleBits helped me understand electronics and synthesizers, and are the stars of the forthcoming Joy of Synths learning series. That said- the K2 is a smarter investment than getting sucked into littleBits collecting. I write this despite selling littleBits kits through JoyOfSynths.com.

In Closing…

Thanks for reading this far! A synth can be a lot of fun but make sure you have a way to play it- either built in keyboard or a MIDI keyboard or sequencer. And enough patch cables and stackables for patch points on the instrument! Patching becomes the way to unlock new sounds from your instrument.

End Note 6/1/2023

The first one is always a struggle.

It's taking me a day and a year to launch this Joy of Synths newsletter. How do I know? I photographed "Patch with Pride" images in June 2022. On May 31, 2023, I filmed it in 4K DCI resolution. And I had reshoots on June 1, 23, to include the light blue, white, and pink patch cables.

Now I just have to get through the Substack formatting hurdles (actually, easy enough to do on my iPhone 6s) and the Joy of Synths newsletter will be published! Like now, June 1, 2023!