Top 10 synthesizers

Music in one form or another is loved by all people. Most, of course, are simple listeners who are unlikely to be greatly interested in this article. But there are among you, dear readers, and musicians who probably know such a tool as a synthesizer.

For those who do not know, the synthesizer is a kind of Swiss knife in the world of musical instruments. With it you can simulate almost any traditional tool. It can be a piano, a bass guitar, and drums, and much more. In addition, synthesizers can also play the accompaniment, to impose various effects on the sound. In general, masters of their work on a quality tool will be able to create a full-fledged work even alone! Of course, some professional musicians are skeptical of this device, accusing it of “wrong” sound, but let's be honest - the vast majority of us simply do not distinguish a real instrument from a synthesizer sound. And progress does not stand still, but because an increasing number of amateurs and professionals use these electronic musical instruments in their work.

Synthesizers are divided into many categories, but we will focus only on two of them: synthesizers for beginners and professional instruments. Our rating will help you choose the best device in each price category. But first, let's look at the best manufacturers.

Top synthesizer manufacturers

• Yamaha. The company's history dates back to 1887, when Torakusu Yamaha, the founder, produced a high-class organ. Now the Japanese company also produces a variety of motorcycles and sports equipment, but the music division is one of the main ones. Excellent quality of synthesizers, good sound and reasonable prices made synthesizers from Yamaha favorite of many musicians around the world.
• Korg. And again we have a Japanese company. The history of this company is relatively short - it was founded by Korg only at the beginning of the sixties, but already managed to win a huge recognition of famous musicians. The main advantages of the company's models include the sampler, the built-in high-quality sound amplification system and much more. For example, the Korg Triton Studio workstation is currently considered one of the most powerful in the world.
• Roland. I think it is no longer necessary to name the country where this firm is from. The Japanese again managed to create excellent products, among which not only synthesizers, but also other musical equipment. The main distinctive feature of the models from Roland is a reasonable price and quite small in comparison with competitors, dimensions and weight.
• Casio. This company in 1957 was one of the very first who ventured to release a fully electronic calculator. At the moment, the company is engaged in the release of calculators, watches and musical equipment. The latter is not very popular among professional musicians, but the quality of the products is at a very high level and is constantly growing.

The best synthesizers for beginners

The instruments from this group are addressed not only to novice musicians, but also to those who simply would like to “ping” for their own pleasure.Their device is relatively easy to understand, because the functionality does not shine with a huge variety, like on professional devices, and the price is sufficiently democratic so that customers can afford such a device just as a toy.

Such models will also be suitable for amateur musicians, who, as a rule, have no extra funds to purchase expensive equipment. Nevertheless, we consider not children's models, but full-fledged working instruments with high-quality sound.

The competition among manufacturers in this segment is quite high, and therefore we recommend to get acquainted with our top three in the ranking of synthesizers for beginners.

4 Medeli M17

Solid inexpensive synthesizer with 61 keys and the ability to connect the pedals. The keys are full-sized, with sensitivity to pressing. In addition, there are 390 timbres and support for polyphony - plays up to 64 simultaneous notes. The “trick” of this model from an advanced Chinese musical instrument manufacturer is a learning function for as many as 110 melodies. That is why it is one of the best VST tools for beginners and amateurs.

Despite the fact that the model is inexpensive, there is an accompaniment with a hundred styles. There is a display. In reviews, users note a decent realistic sound, a quiet keystroke with pleasant resistance, the information content of the display and the separation of the keyboard. A nice bonus: the function of double-sounding instruments and the ability to record a full-fledged composition.

3 CASIO CTK-7200

VST instrument with 61 keys and 820 timbres. The keys are full-sized, but the case is compact. It is possible to connect the pedals, headphones, microphone, change the tone of the controller. There is a display. Synthesizer supports SD memory cards - you can record played tunes. Polyphony is gorgeous - the model can simultaneously play up to 64 notes. The model is powered by batteries or rechargeable batteries.

Also, Casio CTK-7200 is able to auto accompaniment: there are already 260 different styles. The model is good in that it can become the center of an instrumental ensemble: you can connect guitars and a player, a microphone for a vocalist, and record the resulting songs on a memory card. The model is suitable for oranzhirovki: sliders provide an opportunity to experiment with the sound. The sound here is good, but not outstanding - optimal for beginners, advanced beginners and semi-professionals.

2 CASIO CTK-6200

The most expensive synthesizer in our ranking is located on the second place due to the most extensive functionality. Yes, you will pay 5 thousand more than for the leader, but you will get a much larger set of opportunities. Starting training on this synthesizer is not the best idea, but for those who are already at least minimally familiar with such instruments and want to develop further without investing a lot of money, CASIO CTK-6200 will fit perfectly.

Advantages:

• The largest number of timbres in this category - 700
• Best polyphony - 48 sounds
• There arpenjirator
• There is a line input
• SD cards supported
• The most powerful built-in amplifier - 6 W

1 Yamaha PSR-R200

Yamaha products are famous in several industries at once. One of them is musical. As always, the products of this company has excellent build quality and good performance. Specifically, this model will be an excellent choice for those who are just beginning their acquaintance with synthesizers. The functionality of the device is quite simple, and the price does not hit the wallet a lot, so the model is perfect for training.

Advantages:

• There is a training mode
• There are 9 sound effects
• MIDI in and out
• It is possible to work from the built-in battery
• The most compact sizes and the smallest weight (only 4,4 kg)

The best synthesizers for professionals

Professionals - people are demanding and able to do a lot, but because they lack the functionality of entry-level synthesizers. Especially for them, manufacturers are developing high-end tools that, unfortunately, cost a lot of money. What is the reason for the increase in cost at least 4-5 times?

First of all, it is worth noting at times the expanded functionality. Models from our rating are able to reproduce, record and process approximately 10 times more sounds. At the same time, no one will teach you how to use all this, so newcomers have no place here. Secondly, the presence of professional ports, which provides the best sound quality. And yes, in this category, rare models have built-in acoustics. We bought a synthesizer for 100 thousand - if you please, buy high-quality speakers or headphones for it. Finally, quality - without exception, models for professionals will have excellent build quality and sound, as well as high reliability.

You can look at the best synthesizer models for professionals in our ranking.

3 Roland FA-06

Roland is one of the world's leading musical equipment. According to users, the synthesizer not only provides high-quality sound, but also has excellent ergonomics, so you get used to it very, very quickly. Unfortunately, the FA-06 model took only the third place in our rating due to the relatively high cost. Silver medalist, for example, costs 20 thousand less, but it does not lose much in sound quality.

Advantages:

• SD memory card support
• The smallest mass in the class - only 5.7 kg
• Single synthesizer with mic input

2 KORG Pa600

In second place is the synthesizer, which costs less than its competitors in the class, but it is not inferior to them in the number of functions and sound quality. Moreover, this model even surpasses the leader of our rating in some parameters, which, for a minute, costs 3 times more expensive. Thus, the KORG synthesizer will be an excellent choice for professional, but not very well-off musicians.

Advantages:

• The only model in the category with split keyboard function
• As an option, there is a control pedal
• There is a built-in speaker system
• There is a built-in 15 W amplifier
• Touchscreen
• There is a transpose function

1 YAMAHA PSR-S975

Japanese engineers of the legendary company Yamaha have created not just a VST musical instrument, but a full-fledged arranging station. This is a great home option and the best solution for professional use.

There are 61 dynamic keys, 128-note polyphony and a wide library of timbres (more than a thousand variants). The library, by the way, can be increased by connecting the instrument to a computer or by downloading sounds from a flash drive. The functionality of the model is very wide: it has an equalizer, a compressor, an arpeggiator, a noise controller, a compressor, a vocoder. All relevant information about the settings is transmitted to the 7-inch screen. The model is equipped with a MIDI-interface (interacts with a computer), microphone and guitar outputs. YAMAHA PSR-S975 allows you to create studio compositions, work alone and the whole group, and even organize a disco. The built-in speaker system provides access to the capabilities of the 975 without connecting external sources of amplification.

The best synthesizers for children

A synthesizer for children differs from a regular model, as a rule, by a smaller key size, a smaller list of functions and various effects. Also, many manufacturers equip their creations with a learning function, which is the ability to learn prerecorded melodies. A children's synthesizer is no longer a toy, but a full-fledged musical instrument, with only a few special features.

3 CASIO SA-47

Option for children with 32 keys.Keys reduced specifically to the size of children's hands. Here are a hundred timbres and a learning function. This mode suggests the ability to learn 10 melodies. At the same time, the SA-47 can play 8 keys - very well for that kind of money.

Headphones are connected to the model. There is a display. In the reviews, users note that this is the best inexpensive option for singing and familiarizing children to the art of music. The manufacturer offers three colors to choose from, but basic: black, gray and silver. The tool runs on batteries.

2 Shantou Gepai HS5416A

A simple VST-tool for children with a wide set of keys - 54 pieces. There are two hundred timbres and as many auto accompaniment styles. A microphone is supplied. The sound is far from ideal, but for a beginner little musician this is enough. The learning function is not here, but the manufacturer has managed to compactly arrange all 54 keys.

There is no display here, but all functions are clear without it. The buttons have clear signatures. Built-in speaker system - here are two speakers that form a kind of stereo sound. The model is suitable for both children and adults interested in music.

1 CASIO SA-78

This is the best solution for young musicians who are interested in keyboards. The model is powered by batteries, and its autonomy mode is long. Users in the reviews regret that the kit does not have an electrical wire and an adapter.

Here the reduced size of the keys, adapted to the children's hand. Includes 44 keys of unweighted stiffness for easy pressing. The sound is slim. Pleases the number of timbres - 100. For unlearning recorded 10 simple tunes. Here is a compact body and a lightweight 1.4 kg synthesizer. There is a headphone jack, but there is no USB socket. Convenient compact display, which displays current information about the included settings. There is an auto accompaniment function with 50 styles, which will allow the beginning musician even the simple “A Christmas tree was born in the forest”, stuffed with one hand, to turn into a musical masterpiece with professional accompaniment.

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Yamaha

Korg

Roland

Supra

Casio

Akai

M-audio

Nord

Novation

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