What got you started into synthesizers?

[White]

For me, my fascination in music and synthesizers all started when I used to come home from school, do all my homework, have my tea and then watch Top Of The Pops when I was ten years old back in 1981.

[Rezisehtnys]

Then I discovered VSE and the vast number of synths out there. This is where my synth addiction really took off, particularly after finding the forum. You SOBs have cost me a lot of money and I wouldn't change any of that.

I've been addicted and couldn't refrain myself from buying things before the forum. What will happen to me now?

[Black Tomorrow]

I've been addicted and couldn't refrain myself from buying things before the forum. What will happen to me now?

You'll soon be on a downward spiral, draining all your savings for the next, better synth. Eventually, you'll take anything you can get, robbing little old ladies just for a hit of Monotron. Welcome to the dark side...

[weemack]

Oxygene.
Oh, and the six wives of Henry VIII.

In 1977 My brother had a stylophone.

In 1989 I got a casio vl tone
In 1990 I got a korg Lambda
I've still got them.. (Plus an Sh2000, a cs1x, an a70 and a voyager..)

Emac...

[Hugo76]

Listening to a lot of electronic music in the 80's and 90's, I started making music on trackers about 92/93. After a while the need for real synth sounds became overwhelming, and there was no way back.

[Swayze]

I've been a guitarist for 20 odd years but what helped me bridge the gap was my interest in recording. Now I'm more interested in the science of sound and synthesis then shredding or song-writing, although both are still hobbies of mine.

There is just soo much to learn about synthesizers and electronics, I feel I'm constantly playing catch-up. I'd like to know enough in the next few years to be able to repair my own synths. My favorite thing used to be recording original guitar tracks, now it's sculpting sounds from scratch. I just can't get enough. Next stop, FM and sampling.

[joeboy]

I found some nice weird blogs with lots of minimal wave, synth punk, industrial kinda stuff. I was attracted to the amateurish quality of the recordings and the "ghostly" vibe they exuded, so I decided to look into the technology behind this music.

[max badwan]

I was 6 years old when Switched-On Bach came out in 1969. I was hook by the futuristic sound of synths. I bought my first synth in 1987, a used Roland JX-3P, and bought my dream synth, a Fairlight IIx, a couple of years ago.

beat me to it.
1 Dr Who - theme
2 Wendy Carlos - Switched On Bach 1969/70
3 Kraftwerk - Autobahn 1974/5
were the big three for me. Played my first MiniMoog in 1975, been hooked since.

I have to add a special mention to Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon 1973, Alan Parsons Project - I Robot 1978 and Tubeway Army - Replicas 1979.

[Alex E]

Terrible 90's eurodance.

[Rezisehtnys]

Dr. Who and Switched on Bach are some others, but they came post garnering interest. Miami Vice was another, Jan Hammer did some fantastic work.

[Algorithm]

It was such a wide array of factors it is hard to even describe. I grew up around keyboards, my dad plays. I never was taught how to play though. I grew up with my parents listening to synth heavy music, early King Crimson, Brian Eno, Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club, etc. Always hearing synthesizers used in music, cartoons, tv, 80s films, I was very familiar with the sound, but I was so young I never considered what made that particular sound. My dad got an M1 when I was 7, I remember back then I would watch cartoons every saturday morning, but with the M1, I found myself playing that instead of peeping cartoons at 6am. I would just zone out seeing what sounds it could make, while trying to comprehend how to "play". If I remember correctly it did not sound good back then. haha That M1 got loaned to a family friend and never came back. I lost interest due to that.
I listened to more and more music, mostly rap at that time (8years old). Through that, I was introduced to so many great records because of sampling. I remember when I was 9 my dad got his sisters analog organ. I would try to play it, but it left a "lacking" feeling... I would pull all of the stops, or variations, and it always sounded so similar to what I started with... Instinctually it fell short in the limitless I was expecting, naturally. The most fun I had with that organ was holding down keys and shutting the power off to hear it fade in a dopplerish effect like a robot that got shut down. (At this time I still didnt really know what a synthesizer even is) I lost interest quickly in that organ and playing music. Then I wouldnt see another set of keys until I was 12, when my dad retrieved his 100 + year old piano. I underestimated and neglected that thing too for a long time.
1 time I was with the girl of my dreams and I pulled out a PSR6, and starting playing beautiful pieces for her, without ever taking a lesson, or hardly ever trying to play before that. That was when I "recalled" my natural ability to play a keyboard. I would say that was when it began, because a synth was worthless without the talent to play it. It was years and years later before I ever managed to afford a synth. Now I have too many, and Im buying more.

Be careful, because the more you learn about synths, the more likely to find an excuse to buy them. The more research you do, the more you notice the quality differences, the highest quality synths are not cheap or common.
Im already finding myself with higher standards... A keyboard I used to think was hot? garbage now that I know the difference.. Watch out. before you know it you will be synth shallow, only the finest.



OH! and BRUCE HAACK!!!!!!!!!

[Rezisehtnys]

Be careful, because the more you learn about synths, the more likely to find an excuse to buy them. The more research you do, the more you notice the quality differences, the highest quality synths are not cheap or common.
Im already finding myself with higher standards... A keyboard I used to think was hot? garbage now that I know the difference.. Watch out. before you know it you will be synth shallow, only the finest.

Yep, I only buy American, Japanese, German, and English made synths. Then on top of that I want a semi-weighted keyboard with it. Of course this means all my synths weigh 30+ pounds, but that's ok.

[gcoudert]

For me, it was these two albums, in 1981 and 1982 respectively.





I bought my first synth in July 1985, a second-hand Roland Juno-60 for 6,000 French Francs. It was soon followed by a JX-3P, JX-8P, Korg DW8000 before I got into digital synths, samplers and ROMplers with the Roland U110, Korg M1 & Wavestation, DX7 (DX7S, Mark1 and TX7), D50, D550, D70, JV1080, Hammond XM1, Akai S2000, S1000, S2800i, E-mu Esi-4000 & E4K and many more. Drum machines included a Korg DDM-110, a Roland TR-505 and Akai XE8 (x2).

In the late 80s, I passed on opportunities to buy a PPG Wave 2 and a Roland Jupiter 6 for 4,000FF (£400) each. Duh!
I also swapped my mint DW8000 + JX8P + PG800 + hard cases for a broken Korg M1. What an idiot...

If I had to buy one of them again, it would be the Juno 60.

[Rezisehtnys]

^You sir need a time machine.

[moodorf]

about a decade ago one of my uncles showed me a version of what was then known as fruity loops. My reaction was basically: