Synth overload?

[FranklyFlawless]

One quality hardware synthesizer should cover most needs. Having more can be useful if you are looking for certain synthesis methods, filters, etc. Softsynths can do similiar things depending on their capabilities.

A ha haha aha h ahaha!

Ok then - which one?

Seriously though, find an interesting sound you like, or even a simple more vanilla sound, and make it on different synths, or softsynths, and I think they will all be slightly different in timbre and tone.

I read something somewhere recently about using one synth and one drum machine for an entire EP to be a worthwhile exercise, and I whole heartedly agree, but to limit yourself once you done such a thing... Why?

I was using the Deluge for a few months and it worked fine for my needs. I just needed it to be easily configured for MPE usage, and the synthesizer patches to reflect that. However, I wanted more suitable hardware to create more realistic, lifelike patches, so I sold it and every other hardware synthesizer I had. I have another hardware synthesizer in mind, but I need one more month to evaluate the situation before I commit to it.

Now, I only use Surge XT and various user-contributed MPE patches from the community members of the Roger Linn Design board on KVR Audio. For some background, Surge XT is a softsynth that is gratis and libre open-source software. I have used Surge XT for a longer time any of the other hardware synthesizers I have ever owned.

[kritikon]

Strangely, if I were to have to use only 1 synth to make tracks it'd probably be Wavestate, despite my banks of analogues and esoteric stuff. It covers so many different flavors well, even though I bought it for a more specific type of sound and one I'd class as a "niche" synth. But of course that will never happen. Not ever, no way, not on my watch.

[c0LIn]

VPS Avenger (dont use the loops and percussions in your music, law suits)

sorry but where did you get this info from?

[martiu]

VPS Avenger (dont use the loops and percussions in your music, law suits)

sorry but where did you get this info from?

there was a whole thread here somewhere about that

[vurt]

Screenshot_2023-04-24-13-55-42-171~2.jpg

[c0LIn]

VPS Avenger (dont use the loops and percussions in your music, law suits)

sorry but where did you get this info from?

there was a whole thread here somewhere about that

hmm weird.
Once there was a Question in the Avenger Facebook group where someone asked:
"If i made a comercial Hit with your included Vocal Samples, would you send me letters of your lawyer?"
And Manuel replyed:
"short answer: no we wont and we never did, otherwise you would have noticed meanwhile somewhere."

[Sawtooth Fairy]

I think it depends on what kind of music you make.
Personally, I am a minimalist, I don't want to use more than one or two.
Plus a rompler plugin for real sounds a synth just can't make in a meaningful way.

[rod_zero]

I have 8, plus the ones in my DAW that are like 6 more. I don't use most of them regularly, I am actually working with the 8 external more consciously to try to to cut a few that overlap and which GUI, browsers and workflow are getting outdated.

What I can't stop is downloading demos and trying all the synths out there, but since i don't have disposable income at hand I keep gas at bay.

[zerocrossing]

There is obviously no correct way to approach electronic music. I keep a stable group of 10 hardware synthesizers, but I personally like to mix it up as well, so a couple times a year I’ll buy a few plugins and effects. The last round was Modwave, Twin 3 (upgrade ), Bigsky, and the new Arturia Lexicon reverb emulation. I don’t particularly need anything, but I just find it fun to explore. I spend my days doing music and sound effects to “get things done,” but it’s nice to sometimes just wander around and see what comes about.

[Synthman2000]

I have always been of the mind that some synths make certain sounds better than others. General subtractive VA/ really close to analogue sounding/Wavetable/FM/Additive (and Access Virus specific synthesis, namely formant complex synthesis) etc.

And over and above that the synth themselves often have effects that add a character.. often a quite poor character. So you turn them off and use good quality effects instead. A few synths have good internal effects.

I have a lot of synths and use them all, sure there is significant overlap but some synths sound a lot better at certain types of sounds so I use them because then my music benefits and sounds better. I also think they enrich your mix downs, different codes, different sounds it all adds up to allow you to build a mix that sounds varied and colourful. Whilst any synth can do various "sounds" they have distinct characters and can add contrasts in tonality/presence/depth and interest from the outset before programming or adjusting them. Arguably the more synthetic/instrumental/synth dominant your music is the more this is evident. (compared with synths being background elements)

Also chosen genre might have a bearing on what you choose as there are some synths that work especially well with some genres, that just became popular from use by big artists.

When starting out this may not be the most important thing though. Are you a preset user or getting into learning synthesis itself ? If so 1 of each would be plenty and still have some overlap.

Budget is of course a big deciding factor. $300 or $3,000 ? You could go for something quite comprehensive like Rapid or Avenger and have a bit of everything at your disposal to start to learn with and still make some good sounding tracks.

Like many of us having 20+ synths is not uncommon but built up over 5-8 years. They are a great source of fun, entertainment, learning, creativity and after a while when you get to know what you are doing with music production you will appreciate the significant differences in sound quality they can produce. And some will very clearly excel and sound better than others for certain types of sounds.

[vurt]

if you think you have too many synths, you might be a guitarist?

[martiu]

Just get Air Music Tech loom 2, press the random button and hope for the best, 60% of the time, it works every time.

[vitocorleone123]

For me, as many as I need, and not more than I can use.

I've sold and deleted many synths (e.g., Omnisphere, Diva, etc.). But I also have bought a few more (most recently Twin3 and Opal).

I like to learn how to use my synths and spend time with them over, well, time. When I had lots more synths, I ended up preset surfing too much for my own comfort.

[Touch The Universe]

I'd also second sound design. It's the best way to know what a synth specializes in, ie, how easy it is to create a or b, and then how much versatility each synth offers.

[Daru925]

For house specifically, and for more "authenticity" i would probably use a sampler.

Sample one of your synth note, then play a chord stab through a sampler and you immediately get that oldschool feeling.
Supersynths are nice and then you can use lightweight synth to create classic sounds if cpu becomes an issue.