What determines your choice of synth beyond sound?

[AnX]

Country of origin/manufacture

[foosnark]

Getting back to a tangent for a second...



I got into the habit of calling my stuff "tracks" rather than "songs" because "song", to me, implied melody. Some of my work is purely rhythmic, some approaches noise/drone genres, and in some the pitches are the result of mathematical/logic/electronic processes.

But now I'm rethinking that. In taiko drumming, everything is a "song" with or without any melodic instruments (and when there is a shinobue, that part is often 100% improv). And bird and whale sounds are referred to as song.

"Track" really isn't the greatest term either -- I don't know how its dimension got swapped to refer to a selection on music media instead of a lengthwise stripe of tape. Maybe there was widespread confusion about 8-track tapes that happened to have 8 songs on them

[Aloysius]

Getting back to a tangent for a second...



I got into the habit of calling my stuff "tracks" rather than "songs" because "song", to me, implied melody. Some of my work is purely rhythmic, some approaches noise/drone genres, and in some the pitches are the result of mathematical/logic/electronic processes.

But now I'm rethinking that. In taiko drumming, everything is a "song" with or without any melodic instruments (and when there is a shinobue, that part is often 100% improv). And bird and whale sounds are referred to as song.

"Track" really isn't the greatest term either -- I don't know how its dimension got swapped to refer to a selection on music media instead of a lengthwise stripe of tape. Maybe there was widespread confusion about 8-track tapes that happened to have 8 songs on them

So, basically you like 'wooden cheeks'?

[foosnark]

I've sold all the synths I had with wooden cheeks ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Aloysius]

[IncarnateX]

for the last 17 or 18 years I've been doing everything within Orion without the need for any external gear, except as ornaments for live performance. It was the obvious next step and one I am very reluctant to step back from

Yeah Orion really appealed to my needs too when I learned about its existence. Unfortunately I was already stuck with loads third party VSTis at the time I used it, so my GAS contamined it by filling it with redundant third party stuff. Wish I had used it more ITB instead.

Now I am off PC DAWS but if I ever was to return to them, Orion would be the one. I also used Reason 6.5. but I doubt I will ever return to that. Orion is much more straightforward and....pattern based just like my MC909

[ghettosynth]

Getting back to a tangent for a second...



I got into the habit of calling my stuff "tracks" rather than "songs" because "song", to me, implied melody. Some of my work is purely rhythmic, some approaches noise/drone genres, and in some the pitches are the result of mathematical/logic/electronic processes.

But now I'm rethinking that. In taiko drumming, everything is a "song" with or without any melodic instruments (and when there is a shinobue, that part is often 100% improv). And bird and whale sounds are referred to as song.

"Track" really isn't the greatest term either -- I don't know how its dimension got swapped to refer to a selection on music media instead of a lengthwise stripe of tape. Maybe there was widespread confusion about 8-track tapes that happened to have 8 songs on them

I don't call my "tracks" songs unless there's singing on them. Even there I'm not talking about some diva vocals. To say that I "wrote a song" means that I wrote lyrics and a chord progression, that I can play it on guitar or piano.

[BONES]

I just think the word "track" devalues a composition, like referring to a song as an "mp3" does. It should only be used in the context of the position of a song within an album. e.g. Track 3 on Side A. I do agree with ghettosynth, though, that a song should describe a composition with lyrics and vocals. Whilst I/we have released a few instrumentals over the years, I don't put anywhere near as much value in them as I do in a finished song with lyrics and vocals. To me, the music side of composition, especially rhythm, is far and away the easiest part.

[ghettosynth]

I just think the word "track" devalues a composition, like referring to a song as an "mp3" does. It should only be used in the context of the position of a song within an album. e.g. Track 3 on Side A. I do agree with ghettosynth, though, that a song should describe a composition with lyrics and vocals. Whilst I/we have released a few instrumentals over the years, I don't put anywhere near as much value in them as I do in a finished song with lyrics and vocals. To me, the music side of composition, especially rhythm, is far and away the easiest part.

Well, other people call them "pieces", or "works", or "compositions", some people call them "joints", it's more of a contextual thing I think. DJs largely call them tracks, whether you do or not.

[JCJR]

I just think the word "track" devalues a composition, like referring to a song as an "mp3" does. It should only be used in the context of the position of a song within an album. e.g. Track 3 on Side A. I do agree with ghettosynth, though, that a song should describe a composition with lyrics and vocals. Whilst I/we have released a few instrumentals over the years, I don't put anywhere near as much value in them as I do in a finished song with lyrics and vocals. To me, the music side of composition, especially rhythm, is far and away the easiest part.

Track or Mix is fine with me, as is Tune or Song. Piece, Work or Composition seems too high-falutin to self-describe my output.

Regardless how accurate it may be, "Trite Tawdry Tedious Tasteless Trash" is too-wordy a moniker.

I usually tried to compose and arrange anything I'd let someone else see but do not understand the restriction that it can't be a song unless it has lyrics. I did a goodly amount of songs with lyrics but the last couple decades lost interest in vocal music. I'll still listen to vocal songs but it is so rare that music and lyric have any remote match. Usually it is just shoe-horning a trite half-fast sub-par poem on top of music to give singers something to do while standing on stage trying to look hip.

Would much prefer hearing songs without vocals. But I usually expect em to be composed and arranged, even if the melody is mostly improvised.

[ghettosynth]

I just think the word "track" devalues a composition, like referring to a song as an "mp3" does. It should only be used in the context of the position of a song within an album. e.g. Track 3 on Side A. I do agree with ghettosynth, though, that a song should describe a composition with lyrics and vocals. Whilst I/we have released a few instrumentals over the years, I don't put anywhere near as much value in them as I do in a finished song with lyrics and vocals. To me, the music side of composition, especially rhythm, is far and away the easiest part.

Track or Mix is fine with me, as is Tune or Song. Piece, Work or Composition seems too high-falutin to self-describe my output.

Regardless how accurate it may be, "Trite Tawdry Tedious Tasteless Trash" is too-wordy a moniker.

I usually tried to compose and arrange anything I'd let someone else see but do not understand the restriction that it can't be a song unless it has lyrics. I did a goodly amount of songs with lyrics but the last couple decades lost interest in vocal music. I'll still listen to vocal songs but it is so rare that music and lyric have any remote match. Usually it is just shoe-horning a trite half-fast sub-par poem on top of music to give singers something to do while standing on stage trying to look hip.

Would much prefer hearing songs without vocals. But I usually expect em to be composed and arranged, even if the melody is mostly improvised.

Not so much a restriction as it is definitional, i.e., a song is sung.

[OreoSplitter]

I don't think a song must be sung with lyrics. To me a song is anything that musically tells a story or take someone on a journey. So a rhythmic beat over and over to me is not a song but if it has enough substance it can be. No melody is even needed if we consider some GOOD musicians. My favorite is by Chicane - Saltwater and Offshore. Very nice songs.

Just because the radio seems to require lyrics doesn't mean songs do.

[IncarnateX]

I will take a stand about what terms to use if I ever get my music beyond what at best can be called "patterns" or "drafts".

On topic: What if one was so picky that you didn't want to buy synths made in plastic or at least with more than 20-30% plastic? That would leave out a whole bunch of synths but there would still be a few left. MC909 is made in metal and aluminium but my JD-Xi would have to go. Korg minilogue would make it, though. Funny that a synth like Korg Triton LE would make it since it is made in aluminium with only the sidepanels in plastic, while the full blown plastic Tritons wouldn't. Nah, you would have to suffer heavily from GAS and be desperate to make yourself such a buying criterion. Too many excellent synths are made in plastic. It is just that many look fragile and cheap. Guess it is all about keeping the costs down.

[BONES]

I'd be more likely to go the other way - good quality plastic is far more durable than metal. Metal gets dents, plastic doesn't, and while both scratch easily, scratches are usually far more obvious on metal than plastic. That's why you couldn't give me a mobile phone with a metal body. Polycarbonate is way more durable and looks better into the bargain.

[JCJR]

Would be "skin deep" anyway. Circuit boards and components probably better containing a certain amount of plastic rather than wood or metal. There has got to be some metal inside of course, copper and others.

Would be esoteric to for instance insist on wood or metal circuit boards. Substituting metal or wood for the plastic in capacitors, transistors or IC's would be rather esoteric.

Maybe that would be a way to make a buck selling expensive boutique gear-- Hand-wired using only the finest solid walnut triple-layer printed circuit boards!