Trying to decide on a "analog" VST synth (beginner)

[Distorted Horizon]

I totally forgot this (free) gem

https://blamsoft.com/vst/vk-1-viking-synthesizer/

Didn't know that it was released for free.

Thanks for the heads up, just downloaded and installed it. Will play with it a bit later.

RE (version 2) still costs. But this freebie is pure gold

[TobyB]

Air Hybrid 3 is very straightforward, well presented, and good learning for basics

[tcrano]

Indeed Diva is one of the only softsynths that actually sounds very much like true analog!

[Brother Greg]

I bought Ace. Somehow the modular logic seems to work better with my brain than the ones with a fixed signal path. Thanks everyone for your insights

I think you made a wise choice. It has sounds you like, and if you stick with this synth and take time to learn how to use the sounds, modify them, and maybe try creating sounds from scratch, you'll learn plenty that can be applied to other synths if you later decide to branch out. That's how I would look at all the recommendations made in this discussion.

[Catharsis Cat]

ACE is a real fun synth. Not too pricey either. I highly recommend the King out the ttprials for ACE on Uhe's YouTube channel, it's got some really interesting stuff, including a really cool tip on how to get basic FM sounds from it. Bazille is a good thing to pair with it too, since a lot of stuff in ACE is also in Bazille and it can do some pretty sounds.

Don't let the flood if secondhand suggestions be too distracting either, certain synths get lots of hype, but it doesn't nessecarily mean they are the best for everyone. Personally I like ACE better than Diva too.

[Erisian]

Being stuck with freeware at the moment, I know nothing about ACE but I think modular is a great choice. You will learn a lot very quickly.

[hues]

Korg has their ARP Odyssey plugin on sale. I also like their MS-20 emulation.
Arturia instruments are 50% off. You can get the CS-80 for the Vangelis sound, but it has a steep learning curve. their Mini V is a good one to start with. Then you can get the whole collection when it goes on sale for $100.

[Distorted Horizon]

Thanks for the head. Will play with it a bit later.

Did you play with it?

[chk071]

I did actually. Not my cup of tea, to be honest. IMO, there's much better, more analog sounding stuff. YMMV, as usual.

[zerocrossing]

It’s kind of hard to find a single synth that does good old school analog sound and DX7 type sounds. My advice would be to not buy a traditional synth at this point, but instead look at something like Syntronik.

https://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/syntronik/

It’s not a plugin synth in a traditional sense, where all the sound is created by code. Instead, the core of the sound is created using high quality samples of the real deal. Because of that, it’s very authentic sounding, but it also has less ability to be flexible. It’s more of a “find the preset that is close to what you want and tweak to taste.” The modeled filters are pretty good and there are enough oscillator only samples that most basic sounds are perfectly covered. There’s a great selection of old school synths, from analogs to FM and wavetable classics. When you start getting a feel for what you like, you can then start buying synths that offer more direct control.