Ah, are you? People like Mansell i think are such a musical genius. It may be hard to a moderete level making your own music with a synthesizer. But after a while you sort of get used to it depending on what you want to make. Me, im no musical genius. The only thing ive ever played was a violin, and that was when i was a kid in the 90's. But after trying so many instruments out, i found one that i am really good at even though i dont know too much about notes at all or the synthesizer. I just make what sounds great and try to mimic a composer like Jesper Kyd's work. It certainly kills a lot of time i tell ya, but thats what is so terrific about doing it. I couldnt spend countless hours in front of my synthesizer trying to mix and match something original and unique.
Well for a start I hope we are talking about the same Clint Mansell - the one I like is from my home town and used to be in Pop Will Eat Itself. I grew up with their music and went to a lot of their early gigs. I have heard it said that familiarity breeds contempt and after some of that early stuff it is sometimes a little hard to think of him as a genius! But it is amazing the way he has progressed and he really deserves everything he has achieved - and more if the world had any sense.
I have studied sound production and I can play a few instruments badly. But I don't think music is my calling in life. I know too many people who are better at it than I am!
I mostly use virtual synthesizers in Cubase or other sequencers - but I have accumulated a fair amount of MIDI equipment, and I know what you are saying about it killing time!
Well, im currently studying photography in which i have a huge amount of interest in over the past year. As far as the arts continue to go, i also took up creating some music via a synthesizer i got a few months back. I love using it after i listened to some of my aspiring composers like Jesper Kyd, Hans Zimmer, Clint Mansel, etc. the list goes on. As for hobbies, lets just say im also a advid cyclist in that as well. Something i also truly enjoy as my personal hobby.