How many synths do you need?

[tomh00]

depends on what kind of music you are making .
These are what am currently using :
Serum , Prophet by Arturia , Pigments 5 , Korg Collection is great also .

[rayliam]

As many as your cpu, ram and hard drive can handle. If you're talking of physical synths, well, break out the wallet/purse, physical space and factor in your electricity bill. I probably have around 50 to 100 vst synths (free/paid) installed, Ableton instruments, 630 modules in VCV Rack (free/paid), and a bunch of stuff in Reaktor 6 (free/paid - Toybox stuff). I don't feel too bad about this since my brother currently owns about 35 guitars right now.

[Paree]

In my opinion, you need one subtractive/VA synth for bread and butter sounds and one wavetable synth for more complex sounds. Rest of them are optional.

[BONES]

I can't imagine how boring/soulless the music you made with just that would be.

[harddaysnight]

I break "need" up into 2 things.

1 - "need" for the music I make.
2 - "need" to not go nuts/stay inspired.

For #1 - I only really use synths for synthwave stuff, my needs are super basic and I could probably do everything I need with something as simple as Baby Audio's BA-1. Not even joking. My synth needs are not complex.

For #2 - now we're more into inspiration, being creative, keeping things fun. With just 1 synth, the fun would end and it would turn into work. After a while, that means I'm not making music anymore.

So screw that, I would throw in a handful of other "needs", which would be synths that I personally just find fun to use.

These are..
- basically everything I've tried/own from u-He, they don't miss, and a bundle of all their plugins would be like the best present ever.
- Dune3 - I just love it and find it fun.
- Spire - same as above, it's just fun to use.
- physical Juno 106. I love the layout. Love faders way more than dials like most modern synths opt for, too. Also love the look.

[Q9000]

what about covering the different synthesis techniques as good as possible?

for example:

* Pigments 5 Synth or Vital Synth for covering wavetable synthesis
* Pigments 5 Synth or a product from AAS for covering virtual analog synthesis (there are some free and low priced alternatives but not that many)
* Pigments 5 Synth for covering some granual synth "needs"
* AAS Chromaphone 3 for covering most physical modelling "needs"
etc.
* SurgeXT Synth / Effect covers even more needs

oh and we need also effects too to "shape" the sound ...

[Jac459]

You just need Avenger 2.

Easy.


(but then, it is not only about "need' right ?)

[vurt]

You just need Avenger 2.

Easy.


(but then, it is not only about "need' right ?)

2 avengers?
ill take hulk and black widow.

[BONES]

what about covering the different synthesis techniques as good as possible?

I don't look at the process that way. i.e. I never think "this part needs a wavetable synth" or "that parts needs something with an additive oscillator". It's just not how I think about that at all. The way I look at it is more like "this needs a nice strings pad" or "the bass needs to be something with good, deep resonance" but for any individual scenario like that, I'll have half-a-dozen instruments that are able to manage those things and they won't all be of the same type. e.g. Sometimes a sample-based instrument might be better for a strings part in one song but, in another, I might use a V/A or even a wavetable synth.

* Pigments 5 Synth or Vital Synth for covering wavetable synthesis
* Pigments 5 Synth or a product from AAS for covering virtual analog synthesis (there are some free and low priced alternatives but not that many)
* Pigments 5 Synth for covering some granular synth "needs"
* AAS Chromaphone 3 for covering most physical modelling "needs"
etc.
* SurgeXT Synth / Effect covers even more needs

Or you could do all of that with a single sample-based instrument if you wanted to. e.g. When I load a MIDI file into Studio One, it uses Presence, their built-in ROMpler, for all the parts and it often does an amazingly good job. Sometimes I feel like I am only swapping it out for other instruments out of pride, rather than because it needs doing.

You could probably make music for the rest of your life with just the free Zampler and as many sound-sets as you can find for it.

[Jac459]

You just need Avenger 2.

Easy.


(but then, it is not only about "need' right ?)

2 avengers?
ill take hulk and black widow.

Ok, I take Ironman's "hulk-buster" and the witch .

Good luck to you.