Is the Sylenth 1 still good?

[Trancit]

Are you sure? Dune 2 supersaw sounds better then my virus, it has more body and strenght, im not sure if we are talking about same Dune 2. Sylenth1 lacks the body and the top end is very strident/harsh in a bad way, you definatly dont want to use that for supersaws.

Just compare couple of soundsets from same preset designer. Sylenth1 is so thin, you must have very small boomy speakers not to notice that.

Sorry, but that´s absolutely nonsense... 10 years now, this instrument ruled the EDM scene with it´s sound and now it doesn´t have any body anymore and a thin sound???
And from the vids you linked, I cannot tell Sylenth1 sounding worse than Dune2...

Are there newer tools with more features??? Definetily yes...
Because of that, do they sound better??? They can/(and often) do sound different, but imho not better ...
Having new instruments doesn´t make a good sounding one sound worse...

And please don´t forget: The biggest advantage newer instruments have over Sylenth1 (beside new OSC modes and filters) are the effects and perhaps some neat little tricks...

If you want to compare the sound of a synth... turn off all FX (especially Spire´s neatly implemented "warm" and "boost" mode, which seems to act like a loudness smile curve)...
If I follow that, there is very little difference ... none of the developers have invented something new... a little bit of program dependent EQ here and there, Envelope shapes behave a bit different and if you have use for different filter types (I barely do) yes, you have advantages in newer synths...
But ist stays the same... it sounds different but not better or worse...

My 2 cents

[DJ Warmonger]

Sylenth1 is still where it was (amazing sound!), but modern synths got a bit more sophisticated - both in capabilities and workflow.

[Astralv]

Thank you for your reply. Last night I installed Vintage Legends and had may be 10 minutes with it. First instrument had no presets and sounded "eeeee". Don't know what's wrong with it. The 2nd instrument had bad sound quality but in first 5 sounds had several variations that I did not hear before. Kind of like using Waldorf Q: sounds harsh but different.
My question is- will I find something I don't have in Sylenth or was it already recreated in other synths? You know- we have million pads, million leads... I have Plugin Guru Pads expansion. I would buy Sylenth1 if I knew that certain things sound different and were not recreated yet by other synths.

[Elektronisch]

Are you sure? Dune 2 supersaw sounds better then my virus, it has more body and strenght, im not sure if we are talking about same Dune 2. Sylenth1 lacks the body and the top end is very strident/harsh in a bad way, you definatly dont want to use that for supersaws.

Just compare couple of soundsets from same preset designer. Sylenth1 is so thin, you must have very small boomy speakers not to notice that.

Sorry, but that´s absolutely nonsense... 10 years now, this instrument ruled the EDM scene with it´s sound and now it doesn´t have any body anymore and a thin sound???

Well, z3ta+ more then 10 years ago ruled the scene also. Do you realise there wasnt anything better so there was nothing to rule by? People got around the obsticles with layering eq and so on.

But now we have to choose from many options wich some of them offers better sound.

p.s. Horses with carrieges also ruled the roads 150 years ago and now it sudenly isnt fast enough?

[recursive one]

My question is- will I find something I don't have in Sylenth or was it already recreated in other synths? .

Depends on what you mean by "rectreated". Spire, Hive, Dune 2, Diva, Serum can do any sound which could be theoretically made with Sylenth, but with different character. No synth exactly replicates Sylenth sound, since it's very rarely for synths to exactly replicate the sound of other synths (but for Synthedit stuff and dedicated analog emulations but that's a completely different story).

As I said before, for me personally Sylenth is the best choice for one specific thing: rolling full-on type bass. However since Dune2 got analog switch for envelopes it may probaly replace Sylenth to some extent (I've tried to make some psy basses with Dune 2.5 - they seem to sound decent, but I didn't use them in any actual track so far).

[2ZrgE]

Sylenth does the best psytrance bass on the planet, and also very tasty psy squelches.

...

Indeed.

One of the first tests when I buy a new VST is the rather easy to patch Psytrance Bass - but no matter what I do, I still don't get there with Dune2, Zebra, Hive etc. - so I grab Sylenth and fire up my preset. Of course all those synths can do that sound rather good, but for my taste not so convincing like the Sylenth. A matter of taste of course.

Maybe my synth programming skills are very poor, but why waste time when the good sounds are so easy to achieve? I don't care about filter types or how many saws I can stick together, what comes out of the speaker is the relevant thing for me.

[wagtunes]

Thank you for your reply. Last night I installed Vintage Legends and had may be 10 minutes with it. First instrument had no presets and sounded "eeeee". Don't know what's wrong with it. The 2nd instrument had bad sound quality but in first 5 sounds had several variations that I did not hear before. Kind of like using Waldorf Q: sounds harsh but different.
My question is- will I find something I don't have in Sylenth or was it already recreated in other synths? You know- we have million pads, million leads... I have Plugin Guru Pads expansion. I would buy Sylenth1 if I knew that certain things sound different and were not recreated yet by other synths.

The question has already been answered. Synlenth1 has its own sound. It is not better or worse than other synths. It's just different. No, you won't get Sylenth1's sound out of Zebra or Diva or whatever. If you want Sylenth1's sound you get Sylenth1. If you don't want Sylenth1's sound you don't get it.

Now, are there synths that are CLOSE to Sylenth1 in the general sense of the term? Yes, just like there are synths close to just about every synth out there. Can you substitute one synth for another and get close to the sound? Yes. If you want a classic Minimoog sound, as an example, there are plenty of synths that can give it to you.

Again, there are very few synths out there that are so unique that you absolutely MUST get those synths in order to have any chance of creating their sound types at all. Sylenth1 is far from being one of them. It does not have a monopoly on the Supersaw sound.

And trust me, if you used Dune 2 or any other synth that could relatively make Sylenth1's sounds, John Doe walking down the street with his boom box on his shoulder isn't going to hear the difference nor will he even give a crap.

All this chest pumping "my synth is better than your synth" is just a load of garbage and I'm tired of it.

Sylenth1 is not the holy grail. It has a sound. If you like the sound,
get it. If you don't like the sound, don't get it.

But if you're looking for something "unique" that no other synth can even come close to, you're not going to find it in Sylenth1.

/rant

[chk071]

Now, are there synths that are CLOSE to Sylenth1 in the general sense of the term? Yes, just like there are synths close to just about every synth out there. Can you substitute one synth for another and get close to the sound? Yes.

Maybe. But you probably will have a much harder time getting there than just firing up Sylenth1, and have that sound right there immediately. I found that is the case with much of the stuff i used to use for free. It just didn't get me where i wanted to get, unless i did this and that, and took care that i don't do this or that. It's tedious and cumbersome. Why not just use Sylenth1 or another synth if you like "that" sound.

[db3]

Sylenth doesn't sound thin...that would be Spire (which I like for pads and plucks). I find Sylenth works well for EDM because it has just the right amount of weight without too much fiddling. That and because it sounds great.

[chk071]

Btw, it might be a bit silly, and no indicator on which one should orientate, but i recently came across this site: http://equipboard.com/ Of course, it includes endorsements and such stuff too, but nonetheless it might be interesting for the one or the other.

[wagtunes]

Now, are there synths that are CLOSE to Sylenth1 in the general sense of the term? Yes, just like there are synths close to just about every synth out there. Can you substitute one synth for another and get close to the sound? Yes.

Maybe. But you probably will have a much harder time getting there than just firing up Sylenth1, and have that sound right there immediately. I found that is the case with much of the stuff i used to use for free. It just didn't get me where i wanted to get, unless i did this and that, and took care that i don't do this or that. It's tedious and cumbersome. Why not just use Sylenth1 or another synth if you like "that" sound.

Fine, but now we're talking about personal preference and not actual facts of the synth sound itself.

So why not get Sylenth1? Because at $158 (normal price) I can get other synths that are cheaper and do more. That's why. And now that I have them, no need to get Sylenth1 on sale.

If I had been doing this 7 or 8 years ago when Sylenth1 came out and was the only thing doing its thing, I probably would have gotten it. Today, I just see it as throwing money out a window. It's just I don't need anymore. And no, I don't own Spire either. Dune 2 is good enough for me. Like I said, Joe Blow out on the street won't tell the difference nor will he care. We're the only ones who seem to care about the synths we use. For what reason, I have no idea. If it works, if I like the sound, if it's a price I can live with and if I don't already have something that will give me something similar, I'll get it.

Now, these days, that's not why I get synths at all anymore. All my sounds are covered. Nothing is going to come out that's going to give me something new. At least it's doubtful. Today, I buy synths for one reason and one reason only. To make library patches to sell. Period.

Sylenth1? Pointless to try. The market is flooded. There is simply no money in that synth anymore. Not with all the banks you can download for free. So Sylenth1 is a lose, lose, lose for me all the way around.

YMMV.

[chk071]

Now, are there synths that are CLOSE to Sylenth1 in the general sense of the term? Yes, just like there are synths close to just about every synth out there. Can you substitute one synth for another and get close to the sound? Yes.

Maybe. But you probably will have a much harder time getting there than just firing up Sylenth1, and have that sound right there immediately. I found that is the case with much of the stuff i used to use for free. It just didn't get me where i wanted to get, unless i did this and that, and took care that i don't do this or that. It's tedious and cumbersome. Why not just use Sylenth1 or another synth if you like "that" sound.

Fine, but now we're talking about personal preference and not actual facts of the synth sound itself.

So why not get Sylenth1? Because at $158 (normal price) I can get other synths that are cheaper and do more. That's why. And now that I have them, no need to get Sylenth1 on sale.

True, that's also the reason why i wouldn't get it. I like the sound though i must admit. I do believe though that there are soft synths these days which have surpassed it, both in sound and in functionality, so it's not an option for me, but if you want exactly that sound, your best bet will still be Sylenth1.

[wagtunes]

Now, are there synths that are CLOSE to Sylenth1 in the general sense of the term? Yes, just like there are synths close to just about every synth out there. Can you substitute one synth for another and get close to the sound? Yes.

Maybe. But you probably will have a much harder time getting there than just firing up Sylenth1, and have that sound right there immediately. I found that is the case with much of the stuff i used to use for free. It just didn't get me where i wanted to get, unless i did this and that, and took care that i don't do this or that. It's tedious and cumbersome. Why not just use Sylenth1 or another synth if you like "that" sound.

Fine, but now we're talking about personal preference and not actual facts of the synth sound itself.

So why not get Sylenth1? Because at $158 (normal price) I can get other synths that are cheaper and do more. That's why. And now that I have them, no need to get Sylenth1 on sale.

True, that's also the reason why i wouldn't get it. I like the sound though i must admit. I do believe though that there are soft synths these days which have surpassed it, both in sound and in functionality, so it's not an option for me, but if you want exactly that sound, your best bet will still be Sylenth1.

Well, that's true of almost any synth. If you want THAT sound, you get THAT synth.

There are two synths off the top of my head that I can't really find any kind of even close replacement for.

Scrooo
Wavemapper 2

There are probably a few others but those two really stick out like a sore thumb. You have to listen to them to truly appreciate how unique they are. I guess Mr. Alias Pro would be another one but that synth is just so damn ugly sounding I'm not sure anything would want to sound like it. But that is one unique sounding synth. The filters in it are just downright dirty.

But most commercial run of the mill stuff is just that, run of the mill. There is nothing really new.

Again, I could make a track of 20 plus synths and I guarantee most people, unless they're really hard core, couldn't tell which synth was which.

I'm looking forward to Flexion. I think I might be able to add that to the list of unique ones.

[fischkopf]

Now, these days, that's not why I get synths at all anymore. All my sounds are covered. Nothing is going to come out that's going to give me something new. At least it's doubtful. Today, I buy synths for one reason and one reason only. To make library patches to sell. Period.

Are you serious? Usually when I get a new synth that excites me, it encourages me to be creative, to see what I can achieve using all the capabilities of a synth. I would NEVER think "all my sounds are covered" because I don't usually never start working on a patch with a preconceived idea about what it will sound like. I just start experimenting until something comes out that excites me, it's a creative process from beginning to end. That's why I like to get new synths, because the results will be different every time.

[db3]

if you want exactly that sound, your best bet will still be Sylenth1.

And that's the crux. Sylenth 1 may not be the best bet for many people, but for those who are looking for a particular type of EDM sound it still reigns.