best FREE bread&butter presets synth?

[mixyguy2]

Maybe to you. Not to my ears. Not comparing to libraries I spent hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars on.

But I guess everybody has different expectations.

It still doesn't make a Ford Pinto a Lexus.

What a ridiculous analogy. Whatever

[mixyguy2]

A lot of very good free suggestions here, but the request was for one plugin to do it all. Don't see anything in the free column yet that can do it all...

Actually the request was for "a fully free synth with GREAT bread and butter presets, to use on a portable laptop for playing, writing and screwing around, without having to PROGRAM a thing." I think we've established that the OP's "bread and butter" comment means common instruments like piano, organ, basic orchestral instruments kind of thing. And I think we've listed the closest hits to that.

And then again...
v
v

Another option is to use a free DAW with onboard sounds.

doh. Did no one suggest that until now (offhand I don't recall for sure)? That is likely the best answer. I think most have a good complement of common "bread and butter" sounds.

[wwjd]

I use REAPER with no built ins. Also, the other people would need the same DAW - for free? i suppose there is one out there, much bigger than the scope of this request - and would need to learn the new DAW also.

[zzz00m]

I use REAPER with no built ins. Also, the other people would need the same DAW - for free? i suppose there is one out there

Studio One 5 Prime
https://shop.presonus.com/Studio-One-5-Prime

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[Synthack]

.........

[wwjd]

tl;dr Nils K1v for the win

I would like to pose my quick, unscientific reviews for others seeking the same thing I was after here:

a FREE, bread & butter presets synth

My objective is: much less knowlegable band members use something common, small and easy for scratch padding ideas

#5 SAMPLETANK 4: is cool and great, a little quirky to use, lacks a couple of Bread and butters, and is quite large, and requires registration. Not exactly a quick synth download/install option.

#4 TYRELL, SYNTH1, GR-8, and countless others that are REALLY GREAT, lack the quick access to the bread and butter parts desired.
They could absolutely work, with some additional time spent programming, tweaking, adding presets, but that is not within the parameters of this need.

#3 Proteus VX.... I used this long ago and yes, great as it was, twas a pain in the tushnuts even back then, and not gonna bother try to resurrect it on todays platforms.

#2 To me, the runner up is MAGIX INDEPENDENCE FREE. Much smaller footprint than Sampletank, studio quality sounds (that's not important at all for my scratchpad needs), and covers the basics: drums, bass, guitar, piano, EP, synth, organs, I guess it is missing strings... BUT, its tiny interface doesn't seem to resize, and I'm not a fan of that. Not super easy to navigate either. Which leads me to....

#1 MY Winner! Nils‘ K1v – Kawai K1 Emulation
Here's why:
> Free
> One thing to download and install, and pretty small, nothing to add or configure
> Bread & Butter presets: piano, elec piano, bass, guitar, strings, organ, synths, pads, as well as a bunch of others sounds
> Dead simple to use: Search the sound, pick one and play
> Easy resizing

I know, I know, it sounds all 80s-ish and shtuff, but that's not important for the need it fills.
That's really all I needed in a free, fast, easy, scratchpad tool for distribution to fellow bandmates.

BIG Honorable mention to DSK VIRTUOSO that sounds nicer, but is missing Bass and that was a very important part.

I really posted my question expecting people to immediately respond with "Oh yeah, I use XXXXXX for that all the time", and kinda stunned the free built in presets don't cover bread and butter patches. I think even my crappy DX-21 does.

Thanks for all your input and lively discussion!

[zzz00m]

#1 MY Winner! Nils‘ K1v – Kawai K1 Emulation
Here's why:
> Free
> One thing to download and install, and pretty small, nothing to add or configure
> Bread & Butter presets: piano, elec piano, bass, guitar, strings, organ, synths, pads, as well as a bunch of others sounds
> Dead simple to use: Search the sound, pick one and play
> Easy resizing

I know, I know, it sounds all 80s-ish and shtuff, but that's not important for the need it fills.
That's really all I needed in a free, fast, easy, scratchpad tool for distribution to fellow bandmates.

The K1 is an interesting ROMpler, and thanks for bringing Nils' K1V up! Definitely a much cheaper ($0.00) ROMpler emulation than the others from that era!

The Kawai K1 is a 61 key synthesizer manufactured in 1988 by Kawai. It is an entry-level and low fidelity synthesizer and not as feature rich as the Kawai K4 and was released to compete with the Roland D50 and Korg M1 synthesizers. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kawai_K1

[zzz00m]

... [dupe]

[DJErmac]

I'd say Reveal Sound Spire.




Sorry, mild trolling.

[Introspective]

"Bread and butter"

[SparkySpark]

tl;dr Nils K1v for the win
...
Thanks for all your input and lively discussion!

And thank you! It was actually quite an interesting thread to follow and comment in. My list would likely have looked a bit different (in a word: XPand!2, as it allows for growth), but who cares. The important thing is you're happy with the results. (BTW, for others reading this thread, take a look at the soundfont GM solution posted on last page.)

Have fun!

[surreal]

A lot of very good free suggestions here, but the request was for one plugin to do it all. Don't see anything in the free column yet that can do it all...

Actually the request was for "a fully free synth with GREAT bread and butter presets, to use on a portable laptop for playing, writing and screwing around, without having to PROGRAM a thing." I think we've established that the OP's "bread and butter" comment means common instruments like piano, organ, basic orchestral instruments kind of thing. And I think we've listed the closest hits to that.

And then again...
v
v

Another option is to use a free DAW with onboard sounds.

doh. Did no one suggest that until now (offhand I don't recall for sure)? That is likely the best answer. I think most have a good complement of common "bread and butter" sounds.

I did suggest bandlab cakewalk with the roland sound canvas and some one else suggested xpand2.. cheaper you can find than this combo with decent usable sounds.. we are really spoilt for choice

[excuse me please]

K1V is awesome.

[mixyguy2]

so, I'm looking for a fully free synth with GREAT bread and butter presets, to use on a portable laptop for playing, writing and screwing around, without having to PROGRAM a thing.
Need bass? BAM! Preset and play
E Piano? BAM! Preset to play
Basic synth sound? BAM! Preset and play

I guess on a dial of SMALL to LARGE, the needle would lean more toward the small side.
Don't want to install 40 gigs of samples, sucking up precious SSD drive space.

Remember: PRESETS, not how good the synth is, how good the PRESETS are for general use and notepad writing/playing.

Thanks!!!

This might be worth a look: https://www.kvraudio.com/product/gala-se-by-fanan-team

EDIT: I take it back. My bad. I did something one should never do: recommend something before trying it. I had downloaded but hadn't tried, ASSUMING (there is that word) that the sounds would be at least passable. They aren't. "Very retro" is the kindest thing I can say, but most don't even sound like what they're supposed to be. Debatable if it's even worth a free download IMO.

[audiojunkie]

Since we are bringing up necro-threads.....

I never could see the point of choosing just one. With Surge and a SFZ player (take your pick), you’d have the absolute top notch best of both worlds regardless of the architecture you are using.

Real sounds: SFZ delivers in spades.
Synth sounds for free: Surge is hard to beat.

I could do absolutely everything I need with these two options and some free effects (airwindows).