KVR Audio

braj · Post by **braj** » Mon Nov 30, 2015 7:02 pm

It is silly to think you need more than one flexible one like Zebra2. Back before softsynths sure, where you could only bounce tracks around to get more synths in your tracks, but now with one synth you really do have many to use. Now, want and need are two different things and shouldn't be confused. I want lots of synths because they interest me and I like how certain ones are designed more than others. But nowadays, you can get multiple synthesis types in just one plugin, so really, comparing when I was a youngster, those synths effectively are like having several in one. Synthmaster is the obvious budget one to try out, though for me programming it isn't so fun or easy. If I were to cheat a little I think I'd use Trilian and get acoustic and electric basses too because it could probably do everything at least well enough and I like the interface, and the benefit would be one plugin to manage across multiple tracks.

layzer · Post by **layzer** » Mon Nov 30, 2015 7:52 pm

my setup contains a few synths utilizing different methods of sound genertion, VA, FM, Additive, PD, Wavetable and sampler/rompler.
fot these, my goto synths in each area are usually:

VA - Tal Electro, Charlatan, obxd, pg8x, minimoog VA
FM - OXE, Dexed
Add - MicroTera
PD - Plasticz, Digits
WT - Z3ta+, DuneBE
ROM - M1, Wavestation
SAM - EXT2 sampler

good luck finding one synth that does it all better than multiple synths that specialize on a certain sound synthesis.

zerocrossing · Post by **zerocrossing** » Mon Nov 30, 2015 8:57 pm

layzer wrote:good luck finding one synth that does it all better than multiple synths that specialize on a certain sound synthesis.

That's a good point especially when you think about work flow. Sometimes I want to play around with tons of options and synthesis types, but more often than not, I just want a very specific tool that's quick and easy to work with. That's why even though I own Zebra/Dark Zebra, I also own Diva. I could probably get Dark Zebra to give me what Diva does, but I frankly prefer sometimes to have an uncluttered and direct interface, especially when the kind of sound I'm looking for is pretty simple.

Other times I'll go for something like MPowersynth, which is amazing and fun for getting complicated types of sounds.

C-note · Post by **C-note** » Mon Nov 30, 2015 9:27 pm

Since no one has mentioned the Elephant in the room - For what you describe, Sylenth1 is your Huckleberry.
http://www.lennardigital.com

ksandvik · Post by **ksandvik** » Mon Nov 30, 2015 10:08 pm

pdxindy wrote:One synth?

Zebra...

I prefer synthesis to samples... setting samples aside, Zebra is the cream of the crop

Yep, especially as you could upload your own waveforms and extend the synth quite a lot.

PS: If you own Logic Pro X this whole issue is resolved as it comes with a lot of pre-installed SW synths including Alchemy that has its own world of installing waveforms and mangling those to Nth degree and has a VA built-in.

Dúnedain · Post by **Dúnedain** » Mon Nov 30, 2015 10:18 pm

Is cheating with FX allowed? In that case the answer is a clear yes. Give me a good no nonsense 3 oscillator synth like Iblit together with the Logic effects and I write a complete album.

Sylenth1 should be something for you to have a look at. Especially because there are 1000s of presets for it.

ksandvik · Post by **ksandvik** » Mon Nov 30, 2015 11:18 pm

I would like to see how you got IBlit (Windows only) to work with Logic Pro X (MacOSX...)

Ed A. · Post by **Ed A.** » Mon Nov 30, 2015 11:42 pm

tehlord wrote:If you're using Logic you now have Alchemy, kinda case closed.

I have a lot of softsynths, but the synths and effects in Logic (and MainStage) are still my go to favorites.
I always use Sculpture and Alchemy.

Mutant · Post by **Mutant** » Mon Nov 30, 2015 11:58 pm

ksandvik wrote:I would like to see how you got IBlit (Windows only) to work with Logic Pro X (MacOSX...)

Easy.
Render the synth on Windows, import the audio on the Mac and apply Logic effects there.

DJMaytag · Post by **DJMaytag** » Tue Dec 01, 2015 12:16 am

Back in the hardware era, my Juno-106 was by far the workhorse, even owning two of them at one point. The complement piece was my Prophet-600. They were the bulk of most of my early writings.

Now, ABL2 and Phoscyon are my main synths along with the Arturia SEM V as my workhorse. I'm not sure what my primary complement synth is settling to in being yet, as I'm totally revamped my synth setup since last Black Friday.

Last year:
ABL2
Phoscyon
TAL Uno-60
TAL Bassline-101
Element
FF Twin2
MS-20

This year (all the above plus):
SEM V
ARP 2600 V2
FM8
Jupiter 8 V2
Entire Korg Legacy Collection
PPG Wave 2.V
ReDominator
Sunrizer

This far, I'd have to say that the Jupiter 8V and Sunrizer are probably my #2 synths, with the Jup being used a bit more thus far.

acYm · Post by **acYm** » Tue Dec 01, 2015 2:37 am

Very feasible goal and actually a great idea if that one synth is going to be Kore2.

jancivil · Post by **jancivil** » Tue Dec 01, 2015 5:01 am

I used only Absynth for YEARS.

JerGoertz · Post by **JerGoertz** » Tue Dec 01, 2015 5:29 am

jancivil wrote:I used only Absynth for YEARS.

Absynth is a versatile beastie, for sure.

rod_zero · Post by **rod_zero** » Tue Dec 01, 2015 5:40 am

UVI Falcon offers almost everything: substractive, wavetables, granular, fm, sampling, layers, modulations, effects, etc.

Then zebra2 does a lot except sampling and granular.

Omnisphere does almost verything but its modulation system is not as powerfull as the previous ones.

I would pick falcon.

EnGee · Post by **EnGee** » Tue Dec 01, 2015 6:39 am

.jon wrote:
I'd like a synth that excels at substractive synthesis (more "vintage analog" than modern virtual sound), has extensive modulation, big, useable and inviting interface, and ideally would offer other types of synthesis when needed. A modular or semi-modular would probably work. Style of music is melodic ambient with strong Berlin school and contemporary classical influences.

IMO they are two or more synths, not only one. A combination of Diva/Bazille can do it for example. But it can be also as SEM V / Razor or Timewarp2600 / Harmor ...etc.

It can be as a bundle like Air's instruments expansion which has additive synth (Loom), Vintage analog (Vacuum Pro) and Hybrid 3 (wavetable) besides great drums creators (Transfuser and Strike).

There are also versatile synths like Synthmaster, Absynth, Zebra ..etc. they can do many styles, and can be the main to go synth while filling with some more Vintage Analog synths, or more digital like Bazille, Reaktor ..etc. I have Synthmaster and it will surprise you of the wide range it covers.

Personally, I don't like one synth to rule them all. I tried that with my Blofeld (which is hardware) and I thought I won't need any soft synth, but one day I was playing with Korg Mono/Poly and I did a very nice bass that I tried to replicate in Blofeld, but couldn't get it 100% whatever I tried, especially the character, which was missing. So, I'm happy now that I have a good selection which I might add Komplete / Diva / Zebra to them (I have Bazille only from u-he now). I like a lot u-he interfaces. My eyes thanks him a lot

I wish the others do the same with a resizable interface.

It also depends on what DAW you are planning to use. Some DAWs have some 50% or more what you need, so that would make the list shorter maybe.

Only one main synth- realistic goal or stupid idea?