In more ancient times, every educated person in Europe had to play the piano well. And in our time, the number of people who want to learn how to play this instrument has not decreased.
Many parents strive to give their children a musical education, and for this they send them to specialized schools, and they themselves think about buying a piano. Musicians also need “keys” for mastering musical notation. The question of choosing a musical instrument confronts many.
How to choose a synthesizer
When choosing a much-needed electronic piano, you should first of all imagine what kind of tasks the instrument is being purchased for. Will it be a replacement for a child’s piano for music lessons or is it a thing for professional work with which melodies will be created and recorded. How to choose a synthesizer for beginners?
Electronic pianos, which are designed for elementary learning, have 4-5 octaves in range, and the force of pressure on the keys does not affect the sound. This is a great choice for general familiarization or playing tunes. If the parents took their child seriously and decided to raise another musical prodigy, then the above option is not for them. A child will simply ruin his hands while playing such an instrument. You won’t be able to put them correctly when playing on a synthesizer with an inactive keyboard when you don’t feel the resistance of the keys. And such an instrument cannot boast the full range of octaves, therefore it will not be possible to play a work with chords of the fifth octave or subcontroctave.
How to choose a synthesizer? Improved models, not inferior to the classical piano, have a high price. Their plus in small dimensions. Therefore, there will be no need to look for an empty place in the apartment to accommodate a bulky piano or piano. You can purchase an electronic version of the piano - a professional synthesizer.
Buying this musical instrument is not difficult, since there are plenty of places to buy. How to choose a synthesizer for training? It is not easy to figure out the question of which instrument to buy, so as not to regret your choice later. Let's try to reveal the main points that you should pay attention to when buying an electronic piano.
Sound Synthesis Methods
This parameter affects the character of the synthesizer. Synthesis methods can be described as follows.
- Analogue May be subtractive and additive. Typically characteristic of analog synthesizers. Subtractive method: sound saturated with harmonics passes through a series of filters, which exclude some frequencies and emit others. Additive synthesis: generators generate sound waves that reunite to produce one filled with harmonics. Using these synthesis methods, “synthetic” sounds are beautifully created.
- FM synthesis (frequency modulation method). This method using frequency modulation creates one complex wave from a combination of simple waves. Such a synthesis was popular in the 80s of the last century. This method perfectly creates "bell-shaped" sounds.
- Wave synthesis. A simple and popular method. The synthesizer's memory is filled with recorded fragments of real sounds (samples), which are stored in digital form. When a specific key is pressed, a specific sample is played. It is sometimes very difficult to distinguish the received sound from the sound of a real instrument. Today it is the most common method. and it is used in most digital synthesizers.
- Physical (acoustic) modeling. The emergence of new microprocessors with high performance, allowed us to create another synthesis method. Each instrument has a separate mathematical model that simulates the processes that occur in a given musical instrument when playing.
Many synthesizers are produced with a combination of several of the synthesis methods described above. Wave synthesis plus technology for reproducing samples with subsequent processing of sound by filters and low-frequency modulators - this combination has its own name - S + S (sampling + synthesis, sampling + synthesis). Later in the article, the synthesizer will be associated with a tool of this type.
Polyphony
This characteristic shows how many sounds a synthesizer can play over a given period of time. So, to play the melody with one finger, you can take a polyphony equal to 1, for three notes you will already need a three-voice electronic piano, etc. The standard of modern (wave) synthesizers is 32-voice polyphony.
Multitimbrality
The characteristic is responsible for the total number of different musical parts played by the synthesizer for a certain time period. So, to record a part with a piano, drums and bass guitar on an electronic piano, the multitimbrality must be equal to three. The standard value of this characteristic for modern synthesizers is 16 parts.
Memory
An important characteristic for synthesizers. By memory is meant a place for storing samples. How to choose a synthesizer? You should not choose a tool based on only a large amount of memory. There are models with a small volume, but generating great sound sounds. When choosing the last parameter - the main reference point.
Audio outputs
Most modern synthesizers, in addition to the main stereo pair, have additional audio outputs. Such instruments determine which instrument sounds on which output. What is the advantage? How to choose a synthesizer? Each output can be easily fed to a separate input of the mixer and subsequently subjected to separate processing using effect processes. This gives the flexibility stage at the mixing stage. The only negative - you have to pay for additional outputs.
Sound options
All characteristics used in the description of sound quality have their own meaning for synthesizers. This and the coefficient of non-linear distortion, and the ratio of noise / signal, and the range of reproduced frequencies. It is impossible to consider all the audio parameters within this article. How to choose a synthesizer? When choosing, the noise / signal ratio should be decisive. No matter how cool and sophisticated the synthesizer is, if it's noisy, it's a bad tool.
Keyboard
How to choose a synthesizer for home? When examining the keyboard, you need to pay attention to two indicators: the number of keys and the quality of the mechanics. Get a hint here will not work, as you have to play yourself, and you should choose for yourself. Having run through the keys, having analyzed the sensations of pressing, it is easy to decide whether the tool is suitable or not.
Who is who in the market
Today, many firms are manufacturing synthesizers. The most famous are Korg, Roland, Yamaha. How to choose a synthesizer, which manufacturer's products to prefer? Anyone can get confused when they see a huge number of models on the market. What are the advantages of synthesizers of one or another manufacturer?
Yamaha
Recently, Yamaha has outpaced its competitors in the sale of electronic pianos. The company managed to keep pace with the times throughout its 120 years of activity. What are the reasons for this success? How to choose a Yamaha synthesizer? The first is compactness. The Yamaha synthesizers are small in size and light in weight. The second is multifunctionality. The Japanese always strive to provide their clients with everything, and here you can find instruments for arranging, karaoke, additional accompaniments in synthesizers. The third is the headphone output.This is a very important detail that is missing from many models of other manufacturers. Fourth - realistic sound. The Japanese firm remains the undisputed leader in quality assurance with which Yamaha synthesizers mimic musical instruments.
Rolling
Roland had a thirtieth anniversary two years ago. And despite their young age (by the standards of Yamaha), their synthesizers are a good competitor to the latter. The main distinguishing features of electronic pianos from Roland can be described as follows:
- A convenient display and simple controls help you get acquainted with the capabilities of the tool quickly enough.
- The summing type of sound synthesis (electromagnetic waves seem to overlap) allows you to achieve high quality sound.
- A large amount of stored information, thanks to Secure Digital technology, which allows you to create large-capacity memory cards.
- An effective learning system, characteristic of many Roland models, allowing you to quickly master musical literacy.
Korg
KORG has its own specialization - it is the release of professional equipment for DJs and musicians. The synthesizers of this company have high prices, but the number of additional functions is much larger than that of competitors. Among the products of other companies, electronic pianos of this brand distinguish a number of features:
- A variety of sound effects, like the KORG X50 analog synthesizer, which has an arsenal of more than 200 sound patterns and 500 sound programs of excellent quality.
- A professional sound synthesis system that is provided by the HI (Hyper Integrated) system.
- Multifunctionality is the main business card of KORG synthesizers.
- An incredible number of functions to change, record and mix sound.
How to choose a synthesizer for a child
Children are a separate category of buyers. What should be a synthesizer for any child to be satisfied with?
The keyboard must be active. The harder the child presses the keys, the louder the sounds will be made. The game will turn out to be more realistic, and the baby will be much more interesting.
The standard five octaves will suit any of the little musicians. But kids can also get a three-octave instrument.
Sound effects and tones are the main parameters that you should pay attention to when buying a synthesizer for a child. A large number of "chips" will seat the baby for music lessons again and again.
The presence of auto accompaniment. This is another "stick-entertainer" for the child. Percussion rhythms plus the most primitive accompaniment - new horizons for discoveries in the world of music are ready. Composing any one-voice melody with accompaniment is very exciting.
If the dimensions of the synthesizer are small, then you should pay attention to the possibility of working on batteries. This will allow you to take an electronic toy with you on a trip and entertain the baby on the road.
Conclusion
Anyone who buys a synthesizer for the first time, it is better to stay on the model from Roland. How to choose a synthesizer for beginners? A beginner will come to the aid of a high-quality training system and a convenient display. Professional musicians, of course, should buy the KORG electronic piano. Despite the high price, professionals will attract a large number of additional features. Yamaha synthesizers are somewhere in between. These are various models with a moderate amount of effects, functions.
