I am looking for a soft synth which should primarily be capable of ambient sound design and the occasional synth lead or layering with a lead instrument.
My idea is that these synths should be capable of evolving pads, arps, regular pads and should blend well with sampled instruments.
My options for now are Synthmaster (confused about whether to get 1 or 2) or Zebra 2, which is way over the budget but which I could consider saving up.
What do you guys recommend? Is there a reason why Synthmaster cannot produce the sounds Zebra 2 produces? Which Synthmaster should I get (if that is your suggestion)...?
No, I do not have any experience with synth sound design...
Best synth for cinematic music?
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- KVRist
- 80 posts since 16 Sep, 2009
If you are on budget, why not try first some free plugins? Especially if you don't have any experience.
You can use Synth1, Zebralette, Crystal, Reaktor Player for cinematic sounds easily.
https://www.kvraudio.com/plugins/free/s ... st-popular
You can use Synth1, Zebralette, Crystal, Reaktor Player for cinematic sounds easily.
https://www.kvraudio.com/plugins/free/s ... st-popular
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- KVRAF
- 5716 posts since 8 Jun, 2009
Zebra has a modular structure so is capable of a wider variety of patches than Synthmaster 2, which has a less flexible signal flow. For most practical purposes, Synthmaster is plenty flexible enough. There is a lot of hidden depth to Synthmaster just in the oscillator section - you can get a lot done using one oscillator on its own and the modulators and other options in there.axb312 wrote:What do you guys recommend? Is there a reason why Synthmaster cannot produce the sounds Zebra 2 produces? Which Synthmaster should I get (if that is your suggestion)...?
No, I do not have any experience with synth sound design...
The free options myoss suggested will work pretty well.
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- KVRian
- 1234 posts since 21 Feb, 2010 from Berlin, Germany
Zebra is the most obvious answer since it has its place in huge scores already.
I will name Absynth and Massive, both quite cheap if you can spot them on KVR's market place second hand.
Keep in mind that if you are not into synthesis yourself, you may want to decide on which has the best support for 3rd party sound sets that fit your criteria. I also recommend Absynth and Massive because you can expand them with sounds from Mikael Adle (Leap Into the Void) and Matt Bowdler (The Unfinished), both among my favorite sound designers.
I will name Absynth and Massive, both quite cheap if you can spot them on KVR's market place second hand.
Keep in mind that if you are not into synthesis yourself, you may want to decide on which has the best support for 3rd party sound sets that fit your criteria. I also recommend Absynth and Massive because you can expand them with sounds from Mikael Adle (Leap Into the Void) and Matt Bowdler (The Unfinished), both among my favorite sound designers.
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- KVRer
- 19 posts since 24 Oct, 2000
Without a doubt Omnisphere 2 is a fantastic option worth considering.
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- KVRer
- 9 posts since 29 Mar, 2017
I've been going through an online masterclass by Hans Zimmer and he uses Zebra so I'll definitely be looking into this 
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- KVRAF
- 4506 posts since 25 Mar, 2016 from Seattle
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- KVRAF
- 6980 posts since 28 Dec, 2015 from Atlantis Island
For me it‘s my cinematograph...
https://sonograyn.bandcamp.com/music Experimental Ambient
https://martinjuenke.bandcamp.com/music Alternative Instrumental
https://martinjuenke.bandcamp.com/music Alternative Instrumental
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- KVRian
- 778 posts since 21 Apr, 2016
Zebra 2 is great for ambience. Hell, even Hans Zimmer uses it. Synthmaster is pretty rad as well, dual layers, various synthesis types, etc. Synthmaster 1(or just Synthmaster) would be referring to the original Synthmaster. 2 is what we currently have, and Synthmaster One is the streamlined, easier to use version with support for wavetables. I tried it out, and it felt richer and warmer than SM2. Not to mention the presence of wavetables is great for evolving pads. They're actually having a sale throughout December if you're interested in picking it up - http://www.kv331audio.com/synthmasterone.aspx
Nobody, Ever wrote:I have enough plugins.
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- KVRist
- 277 posts since 2 Apr, 2016
Synthmaster, while being a capable synth, may not be as immediate as you may be looking for considering your experience level.
Maybe consider the ARP Odessey by Korg, it’s on sale now, and would give you the sounds you desire while allowing you to cut your teeth with a classic interface that is pretty straight forward.
But if has to be Synthmaster vs Zebra2... go with what you like best after demoing. If specifically “cinematic”, Zebra is hard to beat.
Maybe consider the ARP Odessey by Korg, it’s on sale now, and would give you the sounds you desire while allowing you to cut your teeth with a classic interface that is pretty straight forward.
But if has to be Synthmaster vs Zebra2... go with what you like best after demoing. If specifically “cinematic”, Zebra is hard to beat.
