Instruments Native To Your Host

[Kriminal]

Disclaimer: this is not to be a 'host war' thread. I am geniunely interested in what other ppl use and what they have to offer.


OK


I consider myself to be very lucky with the host i use and the whole package i get. I use Orion Platinum by Synapse Audio. For me, the native synths that come with it are awesome, and i was curious as to what other hosts have to offer in that line.

Here's what we have:

Drum Rack:Flexible 12-track sample-based drum machine, containing its own step and velocity sequencer.




ULTRAN WMS: Wave-morphing sampler with four oscillators, two LFOs and three envelopes, custom velocity response and more.




WASP XT: Virtual Analog synthesizer with two oscillators + subosc, two LFOs and three envelopes, integrated effect unit and six different filter modes.



WAVEFUSION: Wavetable synthesizer with three oscillators, three LFOs, three envelopes and three filter modes.



SCREAMER: 2-Oscillator virtual analog monosynth with special overdrive and accent/slide circuitry.



MONOBASS: Monophonic TB 303 style bass synth.



TOMCAT: Drum/Percussion Synth.



XR-909: Analog drum synthesizer, with individual parameters for each of the eight individually modelled drum circuits.



SAMPLER: Multisample player with two LFOs and three envelopes. Support forWAV, SoundFont 2,Kurzweil (K2000)AKAI S5000 and S6000 formats. Also has the Groove Slicer to chop and arrange loops/samples.



PLUCKED XT: Physical modelling synth.



The Wasp XT, Monobass and Drumrack are used in virtually all my trax, and the Sampler gets a fair bit of use too.

So, what does your host have included, and what do you use/like the most? Screen shot/comments most welcome.

I know FL has the Wasp, an older version and some other synths i cant remember, and Cubase has the Waldorf A1, and Logic has the EVP73 EPiano and EXS Sampler (?), but i know little about the others.

[topaz]

TBH Dave, theres so many either freeware synths or very good cheap synths out there i hardly take any notice of the ones built into SX.

I also find (almost) always there are limitations with built in devices.

[Kriminal]

TBH Dave, theres so many either freeware synths or very good cheap synths out there i hardly take any notice of the ones built into SX.

Thats fair enough, but i was just wondering what was included (i cant be arsed to trawl thru websites, id much rather hear/see it from a user)

[whyterabbyt]

Sonar3 comes with

DreamStation a fairly typical subtractive. Dont use it, not installed.
Cyclone a beat-slice capable loop sampler thingy. Pretty handy.
Virtual Sound Canvas 2.0 Didnt bother with it.


Other stuff that has come with the various XL/Producer versions

Tassman 2 (1XL) Buggy as a DXi, but I upgraded it to the VST version and it was pretty damn nice.
VSampler3 (3Prod) A prtty decent alternative to the 'big boys', use it a lot for large piano soundfonts
DR-008 (2XL) The king of drum machines (IMO)

However the XL/Producer version gave you some pretty heavy-duty effects as well.

I started off mostly with freeware but now have a damn heavy-duty lineup of synths, so Im kinda glad Cakewalk dont punt all their development time into stuff I dont particularly need...

[sonicfire]

at first i thought he was speaking from NI plugs that we use in our hosts

[Rozzer]

Cubase SX2/Nuendo 2 now come with Monologue and Embracer, as well as A1. Monologue is actually quite good for dirty lead/bass sounds. Embracer I'm less impressed with.

SX has never really been about the included instruments though. It doesn't even try and compete with the likes of Orion, Reason, and all the other 'virtual studios' in that area. I guess there's so much other stuff out there, it seems pointless, although its great to have a few instruments when you're first starting out.

[TheWall]

TBH Dave, theres so many either freeware synths or very good cheap synths out there i hardly take any notice of the ones built into SX.

I also find (almost) always there are limitations with built in devices.

Very well said. Yes, it's always good to have new synths/fx bundled, but...isn't the idea of VST is to free ppl from their hosts' limitation so they can assemble their own dream studio?

[christianmusicmaker]

Kriminal

Disclaimer: this is not to be a 'host war' thread. I am geniunely interested in what other ppl use and what they have to offer.

Great idea for a thread Very interesting.

[Kriminal]

TBH Dave, theres so many either freeware synths or very good cheap synths out there i hardly take any notice of the ones built into SX.

I also find (almost) always there are limitations with built in devices.

Very well said. Yes, it's always good to have new synths/fx bundled, but...isn't the idea of VST is to free ppl from their hosts' limitation so they can assemble their own dream studio?

Indeed, and i have a million myself, but the quality of a few of the native synths in OP is such that i always go back to those. I wondered if other hosts had synths that users felt the same about.

[Zoing]

Logic Pro has more than the 2 you mentioned

first it has 3 simple synths ES-E, ES-M, ES-P

Then:
ES1 'analogue' synth
ES2 more complex synth
EVB3 modelled organ
EVD6 modelled clavinet and other stringed sounds
EVOC20 vocoder
EVP88 modelled elec piano
ESX24 sampler

and there are 3 more that have been previewed for logic 7, but one is an amp sim so that doesn't count. the others are drum synth and a physical modelling synth I think

[TheWall]

Indeed, and i have a million myself, but the quality of a few of the native synths in OP is such that i always go back to those. I wondered if other hosts had synths that users felt the same about.

Well...as an Orion user(never upgraded to V5 tho), I only have a small interest in the built-in synths/fx. Rich's focus on these is actually a deciding factor that I don't want to upgrade anymore. But, hey, it's just me. Many ppl are drawn for these built-in stuff I'm sure.

*One thing that I do miss is Orion's sampler though...

[vurt]

Indeed, and i have a million myself, but the quality of a few of the native synths in OP is such that i always go back to those. I wondered if other hosts had synths that users felt the same about.

well you know im an orion user dave so ill just agree that the onboard stuff is beltin
for me personally ultran is an essential part of a lot of my tracks,just makes some nice evolving sounds that yes i know i could get elsewhere but why?

the new screamer is proving useful too,altho to be hoest i didnt think it would when i first heard it,not for my stuff anyway but i was wrong


as far as other hosts go i hear fruty has a speech synth?can anyone elaborate a little more on this

[R'yleh]

The build in synths in Orion saved me a lot of money for NOT buying VSTi's i otherwise would have bought.

But my favourit is the Orion sampler , because of the Velo2Start for pseudo-ggggrrrannnular stuff and the grooveslicer.

I wonder why the Drums and XR909 are not mentioned by Krim ?

I never use the 909, but the drums are used in every track.

[Kriminal]

The Wasp XT, Monobass and Drumrack are used in virtually all my trax, and the Sampler gets a fair bit of use too.

I use the Drumrack for single hit samples. I sometimes use the XR909 when im writing ideas, but dont use it as my main drum machine. Never use the Tomcat (amongst others)

[jens]

I think Orion is hard to beat concearning included synths and also concearning included fx (that I don't use it anyway says a lot about the rest though )