Roland JDXi as first ever synth?

[RichieWitch]

An alternative to the Roland JD-Xi might be an arranger keyboard.
But frankly, before I spend hundreds of pounds on hardware, I would download a free/light DAW and a free or cheap software synth (e.g. Hybrid 3 for $5 on KVR) and make sure I am interested in synthesis in the longer term. Another advantage is that you can load dozens of instances of a plugin and thus make complete songs.

I definitely agree with this. And that's coming from someone with a studio full of hardware synths. Grab yourself a free soft synth and learn how they work before you spend your grocery money on hardware.

For the price of Computer Music magazine, you can get a copy of Dune, which is an incredibly versatile yet intuitive to use soft synth. There will be a bunch of other downloadable synths available through their magazine, but Dune is a great work-horse synth that can do subtractive, FM, and wavetable synthesis.

[Nielzie]

Indeed. Better go the software route first. Many of us here don't even use hardware synthesizers, just software synthesizers and effects in a software sequencer/recorder (better known as DAW). And a midi controller, which is basically a plastic piano keyboard that is attached to your pc via usb port, to play the notes (which you record in your sequencer/DAW). A very simple midi controller can even be bought for just 50 bucks or something.

There are so many great quality free synths and effects available to download from the internet these days and even free DAWs (Digital Audio Stations).

No need to spend a lot of money to make great digital music these days. The biggest factor is time and patience to learn all these tools (and all the different kinds of synthesis in general) and to choose which ones you want to learn and use!

[bioroid]

You would probably get a better answer is you asked this question on gearslutz, but the JD-XI is probably the best beginner synth/sequencer package out of all the hardware options in that price range. You will probably want to use the free JD-Xi Manager software to go deep on it, but you can get pretty far with just the unit itself. There are some impressive YouTube videos that show off what can be done with it.

[rod_zero]

To me it isn't the best option because the UI isn't that immediate. I would get the Roland System 1m before the JDxi.

[Tj Shredder]

If you want to start like I did, there is no other option than getting a used Poly 800. And later a DX-7 as a second synth. Both kept me busy for some years...; - )

But seriously, get something which will help you to focus. Hardware is better in that regard, as software has too many options to decide between. (And I am on software entirely)
It doesn't matter so much which synth it is, as long it incourages you to create your own sounds. With knobs is better than without... (Though my first two synths didn't had any, but I could touch some modular beast at the university before I got my first own synths...)
If you have fun in the shop fiddeling around, and you should do that, it will be fun at home as well...
Any decent beginners hardware instrument, be it a violin or a guitar or a synth will be around 300 to 500$/€ or it won't get you into the exploring fun state you need to get going...
Even with freeware softsynths you would have to acount for a computer, a controller, a decent audio interface, which alltogether is probably more expensive...

[sjm]

If your hands are like mine (which are admittedly pretty big, I can do ~1.5 octave spread on a standard piano), then mini keys are absolutely unplayable.

I think it has more to do with one's fine motor skills, not the size as such. Luckily my fingers are long, but slender, not the sausage type

As you contradict yourself, the size of your fingers is key. I cannot easily press one key without strange hand positioning because my fingers are about as wide as the keys (depends a bit on the model). And while my fingers aren't tiny, but they're not big for someone with my size hands. Those mini keys are for hobbits or for people with strange playing technique. 1-finger melody playing is OK in a pinch, forget complex chords with 2 hands.

I regularly use 1 finger for 2 keys on a full size piano, but there it's by choice.

[Zexila]

You would probably get a better answer is you asked this question on gearslutz

He got amazing answers suitable for anyone starting out today, GS is place for seasoned veterans with golden ears and GAS.