Best free synth to rule them all?

[wagtunes]

Probably the old VST version of ZynAddSubFX that everyone forgets about. Sure it's only 32-bit and the interface is disastrous, but it's THE most powerful freeware synth out there, period. 16-part multitimbral, 3 synthesis engines per part (one of which has 8 OSC's and Mod OSC's), and an internal mixer where you can route effects anywhere in the chain. You can write entire songs using only one instance of this thing.

Worthless if you can't use it. And no rational sane human being will want to go near that train wreck.

[Michael L]

Is there a free sampler?

Yep, AIR Xpand!2 (free now), Orion and their upcoming SampleScience Player, Cyclone, WusikStation 8 (free for a while), Tx16WX, sforzando/ARIA… and Greenoak Crystal loads samples, too. Some have FX, some don't. It's purely a matter of individual taste, but I would choose from this list over Synth1.

[ghettosynth]

If you only have a basic VST player then I wouldn't even want to use VSTs frankly. While I find these kinds of polls a bit silly, there are only a few answers given the constraints and sufficient ability:

pure data (pd)

https://puredata.info/

SuperCollider

http://supercollider.github.io/

CSound

http://csound.github.io/

BazilleCM is cool, but too limiting. I'd prefer VCV if I was going to be limited to just one synth and it wasn't an audio programming environment. But if my other tools were limited then one of the above languages are going to be much more interesting.

[Michael L]

But if my other tools were limited then one of the above languages are going to be much more interesting.

Good answer. So, what would you say is the "one language to rule them all?" Then there's CDP...

[ghettosynth]

But if my other tools were limited then one of the above languages are going to be much more interesting.

Good answer. So, what would you say is the "one language to rule them all?" Then there's CDP...

Like everything else, it depends. They each have advantages, but all of them are free. Interestingly, I think that it's hard to trump them with commercial offerings in terms of pure flexibility. That said, if I could choose commercial offerings I'd probably chose Reaktor even though I don't think that it's the most powerful.

[braj]

Yeah, I know this kind of thing is silly, so don't take it too seriously. The point of a 'desert island' consideration isn't really if you were on a desert island with a laptop and a solar panel, but what would be the essential free VST plugin. I only limited the conditions so someone doesn't say "just use your DAW's..." It is just for the sake of conversation. So non-VSTs don't count either.

[Michael L]

So non-VSTs don't count either.

Well, Camomile is a VST that plays PureData patches; CSound VST is a frontend; there's an AU wrapper for SuperCollider; the plot thickens….

[ghettosynth]

Yeah, I know this kind of thing is silly, so don't take it too seriously. The point of a 'desert island' consideration isn't really if you were on a desert island with a laptop and a solar panel, but what would be the essential free VST plugin. I only limited the conditions so someone doesn't say "just use your DAW's..." It is just for the sake of conversation. So non-VSTs don't count either.

So then why not ask what you really want instead of creating dumb constraints that are meaningless? You're still going to get the same answer, every single time! These threads are always a laundry list of popular plugins. Something that you can easily find out by googling "best free VST synths for 2017."

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=best+free+synth+VSTs+2017

There is no single essential free software plugin and even if there were, you wouldn't figure out what it is with this kind of thread.

If you're going to argue for a restrictive environment with just one VST, then there is no value to using VSTs or any other kind of plugin. There are, however, often cases where restrictions are actually a valid concern. For example, I sometimes travel with work laptops and I don't want to or can't install software onto the laptops. In those cases, I want tools that will run from a flash drive, e.g., Reaper, pd, etc.

When I can install software, I've often chosen just to install Reason 5 because I like that it's completely self contained and it gives me a fun environment that is relaxing to mess around in. Sometimes language based environments are the last thing that I want.

[ghettosynth]

So non-VSTs don't count either.

Well, Camomile is a VST that plays PureData patches; CSound VST is a frontend; there's an AU wrapper for SuperCollider; the plot thickens….

Yep! If one is saddled to a shitty VST host, however, PD and CSound are better solutions all by themselves.

[braj]

Hey man, away with your shitty attitude, you're officially ignored. You don't have to participate in this thread.

[AJYoung]

Worthless if you can't use it. And no rational sane human being will want to go near that train wreck.

I must be fairly crazy then! I've spent enough time with the thing that I can navigate it's many windows with (relative) ease. To be fair, I've never used it in one of my actual productions. And I'd certainly never recommend it to someone who wants a synth with a fast workflow.

But if we're talking only one free synth or the "desert island" situation, that's what I'd choose. Mainly because it is so powerful and has all of the synthesis types, effects, and mixing tools I'd need in one package.

[ghettosynth]

[
But if we're talking only one free synth or the "desert island" situation, that's what I'd choose. Mainly because it is so powerful and has all of the synthesis types, effects, and mixing tools I'd need in one package.

That's always the problem with these threads. It's a nonsense scenario that causes people to think about versatility at the expense of other considerations. It's really a problem that nobody has and it generally doesn't lead to much in the way of insight. It certainly doesn't lead to a discussion of the best free synths overall.

[Daru925]

Zebralette (because you wanted effects), now come join osc104

[AJYoung]

That's always the problem...

Fair enough. Definitely a nonsense scenario, which is why I rarely use Zyn for serious work. The old VST version just isn't intuitive or fast enough to use on a normal project. But it's certainly fun to play around with in my free time.

Rather than seeing the nonsense scenario as a problem with threads like these, I kind of see it as the point. It's fun to use your imagination and consider, "what would I do in a situation like this?". Of course it's never going to happen, but there's no harm in fantasizing.

I imagine that's the draw behind the One Synth Challenge, to actually put yourself in an unrealistic situation and see what you can make of it. OSC just has a lot more organized structure than "Hey, wouldn't it be crazy if I could only use one synth? I wonder which one it would be...".

[ghettosynth]

That's always the problem...

Fair enough. Definitely a nonsense scenario, which is why I rarely use Zyn for serious work. The old VST version just isn't intuitive or fast enough to use on a normal project. But it's certainly fun to play around with in my free time.

Rather than seeing the nonsense scenario as a problem with threads like these, I kind of see it as the point. It's fun to use your imagination and consider, "what would I do in a situation like this?". Of course it's never going to happen, but there's no harm in fantasizing.

Only for the first five hundred times, then you'd just wish people would learn how to use google to answer their own questions, especially if they are going to have a stick wedged up their ass over their pointless constraints.

Again, if that's what you're interested in, why not ask it directly "Have you ever thought about a minimalist setup and what tools do you prefer?"

There are a hundred ways to ask an interesting variant of the question that would facilitate discussion but, no, we get the same lazy repeat of the same question that's been asked a thousand times with the same answers every single time.