SONICALLY Best VST Synth

[audiouser720]

As others have already stated - this question is so relative. It's like asking which music sounds the best. Everyone would have a different opinion. Or which woman is the most beautiful (All of them haha??).

Regardless I chuck my opinion out as well. To me none of the mentioned options sound as good as Fxpansion Strobe (2), especially when I compare the qualities to real analog (OSC, filter emulation, envelope behaviour, audio rate stuff, overall 3D image). It is a beautiful sounding instrument and so far the only VST that can convince me with the same 3D kind of feeling (whatever that means go figure) as hardware synthesisers. It sounds better than Massive X as far as I'm concerned ha!

[psynical]

Bullshit on any synth being objectively THE BEST or better than another. What's amazing to you might be shit for me because we all work and hear differently. Some people love Sylenth, for example, and others hate it. Neither group is right or wrong.

[chk071]

You obviously never heard the AKAI Timbrewolf.

[martinjuenke]

You obviously never heard the AKAI Timbrewolf.

Best synth ever!
A pity that it hasn't been in the One Synth Challenge...

[foosnark]

You obviously never heard the AKAI Timbrewolf.

I know that people love taking shots at the TW, but at least it's dirt cheap now and okay for some (limited) roles. I kind of want one, just for the perversity factor But then, I used to own a Red Sound Darkstar, which was "the internet's most reviled synthesizer" until the TW came along...

[chk071]

Yeah, just fooling around. I'm sure it's better than the presentation showed.

Although I definitely think there are bad synthesizers, in an objective sense. A lot is a matter of taste, right, but, there's just crap which is... crap.

[martinjuenke]

Someone should start the "List of Crappy Synths" thread...

[e-crooner]

Someone should start the "List of Crappy Synths" thread...

Praising synths is ok, but I think there is a big difference between not praising synths and trashing synths.

[psynical]

oh oh oh. How about THE BEST Crappy Synth list?

[Julien Unison]

[Chipi]

Sonically... going off on a little tangent here. There are quite a few tricks that are designed to make you sit up and go wow. Some of these are really annoying in synths. For example, louder is better, right? That's why a lot of factory presets are way too loud and clip when you play them out of the box. Second, nothing makes a sound better than a bit of chorus and delay/reverb. So go ahead and drench that saw. Third, there are certain frequencies that grab our attention quickly, mainly because we're so attuned to the human voice. If you have a sound that emphasizes those frequencies (and avoid brightness to get that elusive "warmth"), you'll probably like it more. Fourth, unison. Ah, unison! That lovely width and pleasant phasing, that power, makes you feel like you've just let loose a dragon shout in Skyrim!

So, when people talk about how "good" a synth sounds, I often wonder how they've arrived at that conclusion. Were they lured in by those awful tricks mentioned above? The very first preset in ANA2, which is a fine synth, is just like that. Godawful, unusable, but hugely impressive (at least it doesn't clip). Same thing, but actually the other way around, for Zebra. Can you just imagine a budding producer flicking his way through Howard's expertly programmed but usually dry and focused patches, thinking "how am I gonna produce my bitchin #1 hit song with this, man? This synth sucks!"

tl;dr whenever people give their appraisal of a synth, it'd be nice to hear the how and why, because just naming synths doesn't really tell you a whole lot.

This is the best commentary I've read on this topic.

In my personal and listening experience over the years these are my favorites, but leaning to the taste of analog and danceable/funky sounds of 81' and electronica of 2022:

1) Tone2 Electra 2 ( if you know how to program analog tinged sounds, this synth would amaze you, but most synth users don't know how to program, an amazing sounding synth that still sounds incredibly powerful without any added effects).

2) Zebra 2 by u-he, has an impeccable sound, open, crisp and analog [when you need it] with excellent quality. The programming is at a level that I consider a bit 'academic' but with patience you can get good sounds out of it. The sounds it comes with are mediocre, the ones you program will be the best.

3) Icarus 2 by Tone2, is a synthesizer so good that it will scare you and maybe you will leave it aside, you will think, wait! it can't sound that good, something is wrong here! and maybe you will go back to your previous synthesizer losing one of the 3 best current synthesizers for electronic music that have ever been programmed, with dedication, love and knowledge. If you get into Icarus, you won't get out, it will grab you with an open, clear and crisp sound, digitally tasty, powerful and analog when you want it, you will want to use it in all your songs, but you won't be able to, because most of your arsenal of synthesizers will sound like crap next to what Icarus 2 sounds like. A work of art with a lot of room for future improvements!

4) Omnisphere v2, is an old beast with atmospheric sounds and great emulations of analog synthesizers of yesteryear, but always releasing a final sound that brings a muffled 'veil' typical of Spectrasonics synthesizers/romplers. You will have to equalize it very well to get it into a mix. However, Omnisphere can sound the way you want it to sound, the downside is the slow loading of the presets and the amount of clicks you have to do for all its sub-menus, you will spend more time trying to program a sound, than you would use composing a good song, not good.

5) Falcon by UVI, literally a 'factory' of universal sounds that will overwhelm you after a while, as you will get lost in a tangle of unintelligible, tedious and unfriendly programming, but if you manage to complete it you could hear the best sounds in a synthesizer you have ever imagined, if you just stick to the presets, well, don't ask too much then.

The emulation of real analog sounds does not touch Electra 2 as the latter surpasses it in the classic, dirty and oiled 80's analog basses, leads and OB-xs emulation sound. Falcon is incredibly good at atmospheric sounds, long and changing intros. I think it has a final sound between Icarus and Omnisphere, quite rompler for my taste and somewhat metallic in general, however with the amount of presets and combinations you have, you would have no excuse for not being able to program the sound you are looking for, it will take time yes! but maybe you'll get it!

Okay guys, I don't want to bore you any more if I already have, this is just my opinion, mine only and to my taste, I don't pretend to change anyone's ears or tastes, and I don't rival the musicians who don't agree with my choice. The universe of sounds and synthesizers is as diverse as the number of ears out there. The important thing is that we can exchange ideas, concepts and tastes to make this synthesized world a happier place for our music!

And to close I want to leave to all of you who are reading this and who have between 4 to 5 decades on the planet, my personal reflection on the decade of the 80's that I lived"

... "Being young in the 80's was a great time, no social media crap, great music on the radio, and not to mention no mobile phones. It was a great time to be alive. The kids today don't know what they have missed. These are crazy times. Stay Safe everyone." ... - Axl

[ramseysounds]

Your profile says you’re 34. How can you relate to what the 80’s was like?

[vurt]

im intrigued as to why he put quote marks on his own words, like he was attributing them to someone else

[vurt]

Your profile says you’re 34. How can you relate to what the 80’s was like?

the 80s, i started, at the beginning, day 1. i was there!
it was a bit boring tbh, till at least 87 when i both discovered lsd and naked ladies

[fisherKing]

it was a bit boring tbh, till at least 87 when i both discovered lsd and naked ladies

"lsd and naked ladies".... is that 2 different plugins? because i can't find it (or either one) on pluginboutique....