What are the 90's vst synths besides The Korg M1?

[Flatout]

If 32bit is ok, then Purity from Luxonix is fun to use.
http://www.luxonix.com/purity.html

Ravity is even cheaper, but Purity is much more versatile.

[planetearth]

Actually X3 was fully 64bit way before everything else and is supposed to work fine in 64bit systems. As I'm personally still on 32bit for compatibility reasons I can't confirm personally. And obviously X3 is not around anymore anyways.

The E-MU X3 was 64-bit? I wish I could still get that! It will read Proteus VX files, and it may do it "natively". The Proteus VX reads E-MU X3 files, and they sound pretty good!

But I do agree that E-MU Dimension Pro libraries do not sound as good at all. It has lot to do with E-MU filters. Dimension Pro libraries sound more dry, thin and lifeless compared to their counterparts on Proteus VX/Emulator X3.

I "worked with" the developer of the Proteus/E-MU VST libraries on troubleshooting why the DimPro and Kontakt libraries didn't sound the same as the lush, lively Proteus sounds. (He also did many of the original--and still great--E-MU/Ensoniq sounds, and was very helpful and gracious with his time.) Basically, the "raw" Proteus and E-MU samples were transferred to Kontakt, Dimension Pro, SoundFont and other formats, and a basic reverb was applied (in most cases). To make things easier when developing the libraries, they had to shoot for the "lowest common denominator" when creating the sounds, and use effects and processing that most of the ROMplers would be able to handle. That's why, in the Proteus VX, the sounds are lively, thanks in part to the on-board processing (which is more extensive than DimPro's, but not as extensive as Kontakt's).

If you can get the Proteus VX sounds to load in X3, please let me know. They might sound the same, and you'd be all set. Or, if you can run a 32-bit version of your DAW to render Proteus VX tracks for a 64-bit version, you might get some life out of Proteus for a little while longer. (This is what I'll have to do.)

Steve

[Uncle E]

The 90s "sound" is largely all about weak samples (by today's standards) combined with weak synth engines, weak to strong effects, and a lot of skill. So, if you want that sound, just use any old soundfont engine, add some samples that don't take up too much memory, a few good effects, throw in some skill at getting it to sound "good", and you're there.

So true. We were all using samplers, 303's, SH-101's, Juno 106's, SH-101's, Bass Stations, Nord's, and Virus's back then. Kontakt or Mach Five, Phoscyon, LuSH-101, U-NO-LX, Bass Station, Discovery Pro, and Sylenth are the VST equivalents to those. The JP-8000 super saw came out in the 90's but it didn't start getting used everywhere until the turn of the century.

[Numanoid]

The 90s "sound" is largely all about weak samples (by today's standards) combined with weak synth engines, weak to strong effects, and a lot of skill. So, if you want that sound, just use any old soundfont engine, add some samples that don't take up too much memory, a few good effects, throw in some skill at getting it to sound "good", and you're there.

So true. We were all using samplers, 303's, SH-101's, Juno 106's, SH-101's, Bass Stations, Nord's, and Virus's back then.

Yeah, that is some "weak" gear indeed

[Sendy]

Not weak so much as just low firepower (thinking especially of the single oscillator synths). But some people need a battleship to win, others can do it with a few carefully slung stones and a verbal appeal.

So basically, it's not the size of your gun, but how you use it

[Bubbamusic]

Man, I retired from full-time gigging in 1980. The '90's are like the hip thing to me.

[Uncle E]

Yeah, that is some "weak" gear indeed

Hah! Well, in the sense that we had severely limited numbers of voices, it really was weak. The main reason the Virus was such a breakthrough was it was 12 voice polyphony and 16 voice multitimbral. Also, very few of the major musicians of the time had all that kit at once, Leftfield was mostly a sampler and a Bass Station, Underworld was mostly a sampler, a Nord 1, and a Juno 106, the junglists were mostly samplers and then they got into Virus's with the Ram and Ed Rush/No U-Turn stuff. I think Lamb and Adam Freeland each had nothing more than a single E-mu sampler and I think the Uberzone stuff of that era was mostly an ASR-10 and a 303, maybe a 606. Josh Wink was a sampler and a 303.

[Numanoid]

Yeah, that is some "weak" gear indeed

Hah! Well, in the sense that we had severely limited numbers of voices, it really was weak.

You understood that I was joking right?

These days so many devs are trying to emulate those synths, goes to show which legacy they have earned.

[Lotuzia]

In the 90s all the synths that were previously released were still massively used, included early analog monsters, Fm synths, WT, Additive, hybrid machines, and of course samplers and romplers (golden age of romplers imho )

Now if you'd ask me for 5 iconic 90s synths (not samplers so) I'd say :

JD 990, SY-99, K2000, Virus and Nord Lead 1 ( but A VFX is also a good choice though strictly speaking, released in 89 )

Really dépends on the sound(s) you're after.

My 0.002

[robotmonkey]

The E-MU X3 was 64-bit? I wish I could still get that! It will read Proteus VX files, and it may do it "natively". The Proteus VX reads E-MU X3 files, and they sound pretty good!

Yes. Just to be completely precise: X3 was fully 64bit from the start and that was when 64bit wasn't even the big thing it is now. I own it and have been regularly using it on recent times. What I can't confirm is how well the 64bit version works as I'm still on 32bit. But I know several people who have been using the 64bit on Win7 and Win8 and it is supposed to work just fine.

And also Proteus VX and X3 libraries are completely interchangeable. You just can't do deep editing with Proteus VX but otherwise it supports all the X3 features in playback mode. I have all the E-MU sound libraries and they are really sweet.

Basically, the "raw" Proteus and E-MU samples were transferred to Kontakt, Dimension Pro, SoundFont and other formats, and a basic reverb was applied (in most cases). To make things easier when developing the libraries, they had to shoot for the "lowest common denominator" when creating the sounds, and use effects and processing that most of the ROMplers would be able to handle. That's why, in the Proteus VX, the sounds are lively, thanks in part to the on-board processing (which is more extensive than DimPro's, but not as extensive as Kontakt's).
Steve

This has been my impression also. DSF/E-MU original X3 libraries also make use of the X3's modulation and Z-Plane filter features and that's why they sound much closer to original E-MU modules. E-MU modules do sound a bit better but X3 is pretty close in that regard.

[ghettosynth]

...

[e@rs]

Also, very few of the major musicians of the time had all that kit at once, Leftfield was mostly a sampler and a Bass Station, Underworld was mostly a sampler, a Nord 1, and a Juno 106, the junglists were mostly samplers and then they got into Virus's with the Ram and Ed Rush/No U-Turn stuff. I think Lamb and Adam Freeland each had nothing more than a single E-mu sampler and I think the Uberzone stuff of that era was mostly an ASR-10 and a 303, maybe a 606. Josh Wink was a sampler and a 303.

...Yet they managed to make the most amazing electronic music ever. I absolutely love Underworld and Lamb and these days I'm re-discovering Leftfield. I would kill for a 3rd album and a show in my country.

Underworld also had DX7 and OSCar. Lamb had a Jomox Sunsyn (how I was lusting about that one!!!). They say Wink had a 101 for the 'Higher State', not 303.

[ghettosynth]

Also, very few of the major musicians of the time had all that kit at once, Leftfield was mostly a sampler and a Bass Station, Underworld was mostly a sampler, a Nord 1, and a Juno 106, the junglists were mostly samplers and then they got into Virus's with the Ram and Ed Rush/No U-Turn stuff. I think Lamb and Adam Freeland each had nothing more than a single E-mu sampler and I think the Uberzone stuff of that era was mostly an ASR-10 and a 303, maybe a 606. Josh Wink was a sampler and a 303.

...Yet they managed to make the most amazing electronic music ever. I absolutely love Underworld and Lamb and these days I'm re-discovering Leftfield. I would kill for a 3rd album and a show in my country.

Underworld also had DX7 and OSCar. Lamb had a Jomox Sunsyn (how I was lusting about that one!!!). They say Wink had a 101 for the 'Higher State', not 303.

I thought MC-202 which has an internal sequencer. Yes, in any case, Higher State is not a 303. The Jomox Sunsyn was released in 1999 and could hardly be considered a distinguishing part of the "90s sound."

But, in any case, this stuff is not the "90s sound like the M1." If you're talking about EDM, then yes, analogs were used a lot, outside of EDM, however, people were selling them off in droves throughout the 90s. New Jack Swing was not about "analog sound", 808 kick excepted. The M1 (1988) changed things, people wanted realistic samples, but the prices of memory prevented manufacturers from using large high quality samples. The JD-800 (1991) had just three *1Mx8 mask ROMS for all of its internal samples. Think about that, essentially one and a half megabytes of sixteen bit samples to compare it to something today. In that space you needed to pack a basic multisampled piano along with all of the other sounds that you were going to use. To make it sound good you had to layer them and add effects.

In terms of synth development, the 90s was all about the realism of sampled acoustic instruments and annoying looped soundscapes that nobody actually used. Probably one of the more interesting instruments from the 90s that attempted to push realism beyond the capabilities of samples was the Yamaha VL-1. Kawai was also a manufacturer that was trying to do interesting things with synthesis beyond just sampling. The K5000 was an interesting additive synth, but a bit short lived.

[Uncle E]

Underworld also had DX7 and OSCar.

Yes, they had lots of cool stuff. Most of the sounds on Second Toughest of the Infants sound to me like Nord Lead 1, Juno 106, and samples.

Lamb had a Jomox Sunsyn

Certainly there first album was only an e6400. The Sunsyn hadn't been released yet.

They say Wink had a 101 for the 'Higher State', not 303.

I heard he used a red 101 for the video just because it looks so cool but that it's actually a 303 on the recording. Excellent acid sound, regardless.

[Uncle E]

this stuff is not the "90s sound like the M1."

You've misread the title of this thread.