Want to buy my first analog synth.

[empphryio]

Hi all, I want to buy my first analog synth just to get a taste of it.

buy nothing!
not yet, for a first taste, go to a music store, and try some out.
it may not be the thing you are expecting.
pigments versus analog synth, is a very different world.

I live in the US east coast. 2 hours from Pittsburgh. 4 from DC. I haven't been able to find any music store that has synthesizers out to play. Probably Philadelphia (6 hours) or NYC (6 hours). It seems the situation is better in the UK.

[SHall1000]

Situation is probably a little better in the UK but not much. Very few stores will have a wide range of synths in stock and depending on where you live it could be a very long drive to reach one. At least 2 to 3 hours for me in spite of having 2 large cities within 30 minutes drive.

[PieBerger]

Situation is probably a little better in the UK but not much. Very few stores will have a wide range of synths in stock and depending on where you live it could be a very long drive to reach one. At least 2 to 3 hours for me in spite of having 2 large cities within 30 minutes drive.

Yeah it's a lottery. I'm quite lucky, Anderton's is a 30min drive away, GAK in Brighton is an hour's drive and the remaining music tech shops in London are an hour or so on public transport. Outside of London and the South East, stores are more sporadic.

Online retailers have to offer a 14 day trial period, by law, so it's always possible to try stuff out at home at least. Larger retailers like Bax and DV247 have free returns too!

[audiojunkie]

Hi all, I want to buy my first analog synth just to get a taste of it.

buy nothing!
not yet, for a first taste, go to a music store, and try some out.
it may not be the thing you are expecting.
pigments versus analog synth, is a very different world.

I live in the US east coast. 2 hours from Pittsburgh. 4 from DC. I haven't been able to find any music store that has synthesizers out to play. Probably Philadelphia (6 hours) or NYC (6 hours). It seems the situation is better in the UK.

Nonsense! I found several in Pittsburgh. What specific city do you live in? I bet I can find places even closer to you. You just need to put in some effort to search.

[empphryio]

Hi all, I want to buy my first analog synth just to get a taste of it.

buy nothing!
not yet, for a first taste, go to a music store, and try some out.
it may not be the thing you are expecting.
pigments versus analog synth, is a very different world.

I live in the US east coast. 2 hours from Pittsburgh. 4 from DC. I haven't been able to find any music store that has synthesizers out to play. Probably Philadelphia (6 hours) or NYC (6 hours). It seems the situation is better in the UK.

Nonsense! I found several in Pittsburgh. What specific city do you live in? I bet I can find places even closer to you. You just need to put in some effort to search.

Please tell me what places in Pittsburgh! I live near Morgantown, WV. I have really searched online. I know Pittsburgh Modular is there but seems to just be online. I have spent quite a bit of time searching online and of course asking at what music shops there are nearby.
...I was able to find such places easily back in the 90's. I had come to the conclusion they all went to just online.

[Shabdahbriah]

Guitar Center in Pittsburgh, 1020 Park Manor Blvd., has keyboards.

[empphryio]

Guitar Center in Pittsburgh, 1020 Park Manor Blvd., has keyboards.

Do you mean synthesizers? A synthesizer is generally something that you can manipulate basic waveforms to make different sounds. Plenty of music shops have keyboards that will play piano and a few other generic sounds. I can go to Cracker Barrel and get a casio keyboard.
...with 10,000 posts you surely knew this. Maybe you're joking.

[Shabdahbriah]

Guitar Center in Pittsburgh, 1020 Park Manor Blvd., has keyboards.

Do you mean synthesizers? A synthesizer is generally something that you can manipulate basic waveforms to make different sounds. Plenty of music shops have keyboards that will play piano and a few other generic sounds. I can go to Cracker Barrel and get a casio keyboard.
...with 10,000 posts you surely knew this. Maybe you're joking.

Dude, please... a "keyboard" to me IS a 'synthesizer', which is also what you inquired about.

[vurt]

oh i see, one of those reactions to folks trying to help...

laters.

[cryophonik]

Shabdahbriah certainly knows synths and, yes, Guitar Center sells them. Their in-store inventory can be very hit-miss, depending on location and timing, but some stores do stock a pretty decent variety in my neck of the woods (northern California).

[empphryio]

Guitar Center in Pittsburgh, 1020 Park Manor Blvd., has keyboards.

Do you mean synthesizers? A synthesizer is generally something that you can manipulate basic waveforms to make different sounds. Plenty of music shops have keyboards that will play piano and a few other generic sounds. I can go to Cracker Barrel and get a casio keyboard.
...with 10,000 posts you surely knew this. Maybe you're joking.

Dude, please... a "keyboard" to me IS a 'synthesizer', which is also what you inquired about.

I'm very sorry then. I'll call and see. Thanks.

[audiojunkie]

Hi all, I want to buy my first analog synth just to get a taste of it.

buy nothing!
not yet, for a first taste, go to a music store, and try some out.
it may not be the thing you are expecting.
pigments versus analog synth, is a very different world.

I live in the US east coast. 2 hours from Pittsburgh. 4 from DC. I haven't been able to find any music store that has synthesizers out to play. Probably Philadelphia (6 hours) or NYC (6 hours). It seems the situation is better in the UK.

Nonsense! I found several in Pittsburgh. What specific city do you live in? I bet I can find places even closer to you. You just need to put in some effort to search.

Please tell me what places in Pittsburgh! I live near Morgantown, WV. I have really searched online. I know Pittsburgh Modular is there but seems to just be online. I have spent quite a bit of time searching online and of course asking at what music shops there are nearby.
...I was able to find such places easily back in the 90's. I had come to the conclusion they all went to just online.

These are in the Pittsburgh area:

N'Stuff Music
468 Freeport Rd Pittsburgh PA 15238
Phone: 412-828-1003

Guitar Center
1020 Park Manor Blvd.
Pittsburgh, PA 15205-4800
(412) 788-1071

Guitar Center
384 Mall Blvd.
Monroeville, PA 15146-2204
(412) 372-8800

Music Go Round
4341 Old William Penn Hwy
Monroeville, PA 15146

Waddell's Music Center
11945 Perry Highway
Wexford, PA 15090
(724)-934-1090

Since you mentioned "Six hours":

If you are willing to make a 6 hour trip of it, you can even go to one of the biggest synthesizer stores in the world:

https://www.google.com/search?q=three+w ... e&ie=UTF-8

[vurt]

Hi all, I want to buy my first analog synth just to get a taste of it.

buy nothing!
not yet, for a first taste, go to a music store, and try some out.
it may not be the thing you are expecting.
pigments versus analog synth, is a very different world.

I live in the US east coast. 2 hours from Pittsburgh. 4 from DC. I haven't been able to find any music store that has synthesizers out to play. Probably Philadelphia (6 hours) or NYC (6 hours). It seems the situation is better in the UK.

Nonsense! I found several in Pittsburgh. What specific city do you live in? I bet I can find places even closer to you. You just need to put in some effort to search.

Please tell me what places in Pittsburgh! I live near Morgantown, WV. I have really searched online. I know Pittsburgh Modular is there but seems to just be online. I have spent quite a bit of time searching online and of course asking at what music shops there are nearby.
...I was able to find such places easily back in the 90's. I had come to the conclusion they all went to just online.

These are in the Pittsburgh area:

N'Stuff Music
468 Freeport Rd Pittsburgh PA 15238
Phone: 412-828-1003

Guitar Center
1020 Park Manor Blvd.
Pittsburgh, PA 15205-4800
(412) 788-1071

Guitar Center
384 Mall Blvd.
Monroeville, PA 15146-2204
(412) 372-8800

Music Go Round
4341 Old William Penn Hwy
Monroeville, PA 15146

Waddell's Music Center
11945 Perry Highway
Wexford, PA 15090
(724)-934-1090

Since you mentioned "Six hours":

If you are willing to make a 6 hour trip of it, you can even go to one of the biggest synthesizer stores in the world:

https://www.google.com/search?q=three+w ... e&ie=UTF-8

if that was 12 hours away, id make the effort at least once.

[empphryio]

These are in the Pittsburgh area:

N'Stuff Music
468 Freeport Rd Pittsburgh PA 15238
Phone: 412-828-1003

Guitar Center
1020 Park Manor Blvd.
Pittsburgh, PA 15205-4800
(412) 788-1071

Guitar Center
384 Mall Blvd.
Monroeville, PA 15146-2204
(412) 372-8800

Music Go Round
4341 Old William Penn Hwy
Monroeville, PA 15146

Waddell's Music Center
11945 Perry Highway
Wexford, PA 15090
(724)-934-1090

Since you mentioned "Six hours":

If you are willing to make a 6 hour trip of it, you can even go to one of the biggest synthesizer stores in the world:

https://www.google.com/search?q=three+w ... e&ie=UTF-8

Thank you so much. That first one has all kinds of stuff. Moogs, Dave Smith, etc. Once again I'm a moron!

[vurt]

the reason i suggest it, as much as i love analog gear myself, it's a very different experience if you have only ever used software.
if you wanted mono, there are plenty of cheap as chips entry level price wise, that you could get an idea of working with hardware.
but polys, there are few to none, in what i would consider an ok price, to take a loss if you don't like it.
a mono, you can grab a behringer 303, and if it's not for you, just put it away in a drawer. the poly, you either have to send back or sell, which is annoying.

different if you are used to hardware, as there's no need to get used to a new workflow before you can properly test the synth.