What is the best synthesizer for beginners? There are so many products out there and it’s often hard to tell what’s really great and what is going to end up sitting unused in your living room. We are going to break down the good and the bad about some of the best keyboard choices for beginners to help you make the best decision possible.
Table of Contents
Things to consider when buying your synthesizer:
- Analog or Digital
When buying a synthesizer one important decision to make is whether to buy an analog one, or a digital one. Some people think the digital synthesizer has a different sound. Analog synthesizers are generally pretty beginner-friendly and easy to figure out. Digital ones on the other hand can be extremely complicated and could keep you up all night trying to figure out how it works.
- Built in Speakers
Another thing to consider is built in speakers. If you are new to using synthesizers, chances are you don’t have a mixer lying around. It’s nice to have a built in speaker so you can hear the music you’re making even without headphones or a fancy mixer.
- Built in sequencer
A built in sequencer can be nice to have. Especially for people with less experience, it is nice to have the ability to record a base melody and tweak it while it plays on a loop. A lot of beginner synthesizers have built in sequencers but it’s always good to make sure, especially if you don’t have a lot of piano experience.
- Price Range
Not everyone who plays some tunes on a keyboard is going to dedicate themselves to the trade for their whole lives. It’s important to consider this fact when purchasing one. If you are buying a beginner synthesizer for your child you might consider their age and interest. Buying a simpler product for the student to get some experience with the instrument might be a better option than buying a pricier, complicated one, only for them to change their mind about it later. We will look at several price ranges down below.
Now that we’ve considered some of the basics we’re ready to get a closer look at some possibilities. There are lots of different choices when it comes to synthesizers, but these are some of our top picks.
One for the road
The Korg Monotron Duo Dual Oscillator Analog Pocket Synthesizer is a unique little synthesizer. It is a lot of fun in a small package. Even though it’s small enough to carry with you it still has some unique features. It has a built in speaker and is battery powered. Also it has pitch control and a ribbon keyboard where you can select the type of scale you would like, major, minor, chromatic or off. Something you should know about this synthesizer is the keyboard is not meant to be played like a piano. It’s more for taps and swipes to add sound effects that spice up your music. Another great thing about this gadget is it is in a lower price range, usually around $100, although these prices could always change at any time. This is a pretty affordable price, you can always check for better deals here.
Simple but amazing
The Novation MiniNova 37-Mini-Key Compact Analog Modeling Synthesizer is simple but has some great features. Besides being able to create and edit up to 18 voices and effects this synthesizer has the ability to save another 128 sounds of your own. It has 8 buttons that let you change the sounds real time as well as even more knobs with functions of their own that create some very unique effects. You can add as many as 5 effects to each voice and you have lots of options to choose from. One little downside to this instrument is you can’t really map a midi, but you can use it as a midi keyboard with the right equipment. It’s also said that it comes with some amazing sounding patches. The price isn’t the cheapest and isn’t the most expensive, it’s a decent compromise for someone looking for something of value that doesn’t empty their savings.
Possibly the best synthesizer for beginners
Some consider the Roland Juno-Ds62 61-Key as one of the best. It is lightweight and easy to carry around. It has great quality sound and also has an option to power it with batteries. It allows users a wave expansion slot to download different waveforms and you can play WAV files on the JUNO-DS61’s keyboard. A small downside is the settings for the arpeggiator and the vocoder, which are not able to be saved as favorites, but it is a small annoyance to tolerate for an awesome experience. You can see some comments of previous buyers here.
One to consider
Each synthesizer has some great attributes and it’s hard to settle on just one. The Roland Interactive Analog/Digital Crossover Synthesizer (JD-XI) has a little higher price. It is an instrument of quality. This keyboard comes with a sequencer that has four tracks. It has lots of its own preset patterns to use but it also gives you the option of creating your own patterns. One of people’s favorite things about the JD-XI is its cool drum sets. Overall it is simple, yet elegant and easy to use. This might be just the investment you are looking for.
Last but not least
The Yamaha MX49 Music Production Synthesizer is the last one on my list, but definitely not the least. One tempting feature about this keyboard is the ability to connect without installing any drivers. You can control up to 8 elements within a single voice and it has the ability to record and playback in stereo audio. With 16 channels of MIDI it seems like the full package, despite it being a little more expensive. One thing that should be considered if you want to buy this synthesizer is the keys are not weighted. If you are partial to weighted keys you may want to keep searching.
Hopefully with this guide you will be able to pick the right synthesizer for you. All of these keyboards have some great features but the trick is picking what makes your project easier for you. If you are uncertain about which one to get, you might pick something that is a little less pricey and try it out. You may be surprised to find your next life changing hobby.
