What got you into synths?

[Dubersive]

Sorry, kind of a necro, but it's late and I can't sleep.

Probably what had the first influential impact on my little ears as a child was Michael Jackson and Sonic the Hedgehog. I loved MJ as a baby (who wouldn't?) and I played Sonic 2 quite a bit on my Genesis...could hardly ever get past the second world

But when I think of my toddler-pre-10 year old years, those melodies just come flooding in. And then of course there all the other classic video game melodies, like Mario, Zelda, Metroid...h**l, even Pokemon.

For my teen years, it was probably a combination of Pink Floyd and The Gorillaz. And then I finally my found my musical heaven in the world of Drum & Bass, IDM, Breakcore, and Acid with all the classics. Boards of Canada, Aphex Twin, Squarepusher, Venetian Snares, Ceephax, etc. After hearing Feed Me Weird Things and Hello Everything by Squarepusher I just HAD to buy a synthesizer. There was no question about it. So what did I do? I went out and bought a f**k SH-201, because I didn't know any better. But it taught me the basics of synthesis (sort of) and also introduced me to the world of basic music production. Before that, it was just me dicking around on guitar and piano. Never even thought about possibly recording myself before then.

Anyways, I'm wanting to go way back now, and investigate those who started it all. I need to listen to more of early Depeche Mode, and all the other bands like that. I feel bad for not already knowing in detail who the pioneers were back in the day, considering electronic music is practically all I listen to now.

[Ashe37]

Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails, and Information Society.

[OntarioHydro]

As a child I never really cared for synths as my Dad is a synthnerd and I thought it was pretty nerdy.

I was constantly told "Don't touch that if you don't know what it is" or "that's not a toy."

For me it went:

drums at 8 --> realized I can't write songs on them --> guitar at 12 --> realized I'd have to buy a lot of pedals to get "cool trippy" sounds --> piano/viola at 16 due mostly to depression --> Playing the resonant filter of the MKS-80 --> Realized my nerdy ol' Dad was right all along --> Realizing he's a liar and they are deffinitly toys

Sucks he sold his old monos before i could get into synths tho.. minimoog, pro-1, monopoly, 4VOICE

[Dubersive]

Realizing he's a liar and they are deffinitly toys:

Does this mean you gave up on synthesis?

[moremagic]

Realizing he's a liar and they are deffinitly toys:

Does this mean you gave up on synthesis?

If they arent toys, why do you play with them

[OntarioHydro]

It's just the a tools vs. toys thing, he got to make money using them and views them as tools. I get to make mayhem with them so i view them as toys.

[thefleeingloaf]

Minimal techno.

[Dubersive]

If they arent toys, why do you play with them

True, I suppose any instrument could be regarded as a toy. Ontario's post above pretty much explains how that's possible, hehe.

I always feel like the term "toy" is belittling though, but that's probably just me being insecure in the enormous amount of money I've invested in my stuff

[moremagic]

It's just the a tools vs. toys thing, he got to make money using them and views them as tools. I get to make mayhem with them so i view them as toys.

I understand well where hes coming from, but the only instruments I keep are the ones that put a grin on my face

[N8-R]

80's

Ditto for me... plus a bit of early 90's.

I'm young-ish compared to others who chimed in, so I only experienced those years as an elementary school kid, but the sound of that era always stuck with me.

I guess it just takes me back to simpler times.

[Voodoo Ray]

Anyways, I'm wanting to go way back now, and investigate those who started it all. I need to listen to more of early Depeche Mode, and all the other bands like that. I feel bad for not already knowing in detail who the pioneers were back in the day, considering electronic music is practically all I listen to now.

Musique Concrete anyone?

[blavatsky]

{post deleted}

[rharris07]

a car wreck.

and a sex fetish?

haha no no, my sexual desires have nothing to do with synths, thank god.

i was a drummer in a band years ago heading to austin to play a big show at emo's, when BAM a car pulled out in front of my car while we were going about 70 and they just stopped. bad wreck...totaled my car, beat up my drum kit and myself pretty good. i had to have surgery on my knees, and i couldn't play drums for quite awhile.

i was given a settlement check because they totaled out my drum set and what not, so along with buying a new car i picked up a yamaha moif 8, electribe, korg d1600 and korg triton rack...and thats where i got into synths.

i hadn't ever touched one before that day except for toy keyboards my sisters and i had as kids.

[Roby31]

I don't know how to say this in English, but "every cloud has a silver lining" (meaning that not all bad things only bring hurt)

[watari banzai]

at first it was new wave/synth pop (which is most age appropriate for me) : the intro to new order's "thieves like us", depeche mode, talktalk, hungry like the wolf, even kim wilde's "tuning in, tuning on", the huge portamento on devo's "its not right"

later it was pink floyd on "welcome to the machine", the synth interlude on rush on "jacobs ladder" and the tom sawyer drone, and styx on grand illusion

and the it was 90s edm: orbital, prodigy, chems, daft punk etc. which is when i bought my cz5000 and sh101 on the same day

ive always loved synths even though i am primarily a guitarist. anything with prominent synths on the radio, im loving it: paul hardcastle's "19", rockit, theme from axle f, all the single ladies...anything...

edit: cant forget the german 70s documentaries they used to show on tv when i was a kid!