Best Synthesizer for Blind Person

[susquash]

Is there an inexpensive ($500 -$800usd) synthesizer that is more knob/slider controllable for a blind person to use?

Is there a midi keyboard controller that would be usable for a blind person?

Either one of the above is what I'm hoping to find. Used synthesizer is also an option.

Thank you for any help with my searching for this.

[vurt]

it's difficult to say, as blind people are all different, they all have different hand coordination.
the best advice would be to try and find a local store that has a few models in stock and trying some out.

[zerocrossing]

At that price, it's going to be fairly limited, but I'd look into something like the Behringer Pro 800. It's more or less knob per function, and I don't think it's really going to get cheaper and better than that. All the demos seem to sound great to me.

[cryophonik]

The Korg Minilogue XD comes to mind. It’s a 4-voice analog poly with a third digital oscillator and it’s very knobby with an intuitive layout and very little menu diving. Most of the switches are relatively large with discrete positions. Best of all, it sounds great. The keyboard version has mini keys, so I’m not sure how that factors in for a blind person, but there’s a desktop module version that you could just connect to a MIDI keyboard. Its bigger brother is the Prologue 8 with 8 voices and full-size keys, but might be just above your budget for a secondhand one. I don’t see the Prologue 8 for sale very often very often so it’s hard to say.

Edit: I just checked Reverb.com and there are quite a few Prologue 8’s in the $850 range, some with free shipping. You’d have to pay tax, of course, but some of them allow offers, so you might be able to get one around $800 if you find a motivated seller.

[Uncle E]

Original Kurzweil's were designed for Stevie Wonder. Pressing the Edit button instantly takes you to the most relevant parameter, pressing Edit again instantly takes you to the most relevant modulator for the parameter you were just on, pressing Edit again instantly takes you to the most relevant parameter for the modulator you were just on, and so on. A very intuitive way to program. K2500 has faders and an amazing ribbon controller.

[AdvancedFollower]

I think a computer and software are also valid options. There are a lot of accessibility tools on computers like screen readers and keyboard shortcuts which makes navigation easier. Apparently Arturia have been working on making their software more accessible, for example.

[susquash]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll look into them.

[Alex_Longard]

Susquash,
ASM Hydrasynth or Roland System-8.

[anotherscott]

Behringer Model D might be about the easiest to operate entirely by touch. But there are others. Questions to consider: Are you looking only for "synthy" sounds, or also realistic acoustic instrument sounds? Do you need polyphony, and if so, how much? Do you only need to work the controls in real time, or do you need to call up presets that you've programmed in advance?

[vitocorleone123]

If a mono synth is OK, I'd consider a Novation BassStation 2 if you want a keybed buit in, or if you have a controller, maybe an Erica Synths DB-01. The Behringer Model D or Pro1 are definitely also options (needing a controller).

A challenging price range for knobby synths with less menu diving.

[Lbdunequest]

Original Kurzweil's were designed for Stevie Wonder. Pressing the Edit button instantly takes you to the most relevant parameter, pressing Edit again instantly takes you to the most relevant modulator for the parameter you were just on, pressing Edit again instantly takes you to the most relevant parameter for the modulator you were just on, and so on. A very intuitive way to program. K2500 has faders and an amazing ribbon controller.

Blind people cannot see, so its very dificult to edit anything that has page layers.