How many synths do you need?

[mixyguy2]

Kontakt can’t host plugins.

Again, that is it's primary function.

[Uncle E]

Kontakt can’t host plugins.

Again, that is it's primary function.

It can load sample libraries. It can't load VST, VST3, or AU plugins.

[zerocrossing]

The answer to this comes down to what type of person are you? If you just want to add some synthesizer sounds to some tracks, one good multi-engine synthesizer like Pigments or Serum will be enough. Maybe add a sampler if you want to add traditional instrument sounds. If you want to experiment and explore, then there's no real upper limit. I love exploring different types of synthesis and even variations of tonal character you get from different filters and approaches. I've got 9 hardware synths (including a drum synth) and I think I probably have about 80 or so virtual instruments, though I could probably delete a lot of them as I never. use them and some just came with bundles that were cheaper to buy than the one or two synths that I was interested in. I'm the same way with guitar, though I only have 3 electrics, a bass and one acoustic, but I use amp modelers so I can have access to a gigantic range of amps and effects. I've always been really interested in having a wide variety of ways to make sound.

[whassup]

The answer to this comes down to what type of person are you? If you just want to add some synthesizer sounds to some tracks, one good multi-engine synthesizer like Pigments or Serum will be enough. Maybe add a sampler if you want to add traditional instrument sounds. If you want to experiment and explore, then there's no real upper limit. I love exploring different types of synthesis and even variations of tonal character you get from different filters and approaches. I've got 9 hardware synths (including a drum synth) and I think I probably have about 80 or so virtual instruments, though I could probably delete a lot of them as I never. use them and some just came with bundles that were cheaper to buy than the one or two synths that I was interested in. I'm the same way with guitar, though I only have 3 electrics, a bass and one acoustic, but I use amp modelers so I can have access to a gigantic range of amps and effects. I've always been really interested in having a wide variety of ways to make sound.

What the man said. I second that.

[mixyguy2]

Kontakt can’t host plugins.

Again, that is it's primary function.

It can load sample libraries. It can't load VST, VST3, or AU plugins.

? Again: sample libraries are plugins, for starters, so yes it can load VST and VST3 plugins.

[sjm]

? Again: sample libraries are plugins, for starters, so yes it can load VST and VST3 plugins.

This is just complete nonsense. You've got your terminology all mixed up. Kontakt is a plugin. It loads libraries. Those libraries that it loads are libraries, not plugins. You can't load Kontakt (a plugin) in Kontakt and I don't know why you think you can.

[Papuzzo]

The answer to this comes down to what type of person are you? If you just want to add some synthesizer sounds to some tracks, one good multi-engine synthesizer like Pigments or Serum will be enough. Maybe add a sampler if you want to add traditional instrument sounds. If you want to experiment and explore, then there's no real upper limit. I love exploring different types of synthesis and even variations of tonal character you get from different filters and approaches. I've got 9 hardware synths (including a drum synth) and I think I probably have about 80 or so virtual instruments, though I could probably delete a lot of them as I never. use them and some just came with bundles that were cheaper to buy than the one or two synths that I was interested in. I'm the same way with guitar, though I only have 3 electrics, a bass and one acoustic, but I use amp modelers so I can have access to a gigantic range of amps and effects. I've always been really interested in having a wide variety of ways to make sound.

"The answer to this comes down to what type of person are you?" That is the key here. There are analog enthusiasts and nothing is going to change their minds. There are still people swearing by vinyl records in the age of the MP3. They have the analog narrative memorized and have done the debate a thousand times and have honed their skills. Best thing is to nod to them and keep walking. I personally am the type that evolves with technology and am always looking for stuff that is more capable and less expensive so I can focus more on creating "better" music. I really don't need an antique Moog Model D in my studio taking up space that is only monophonic and can't even store a preset. I'd rather load up an instance of Surge XT. It has capabilities that blow the Model D out of the universe and doesn't cost a dime. And it sounds 20-40% better! (Who remembers that shitshow? )

[mixyguy2]

? Again: sample libraries are plugins, for starters, so yes it can load VST and VST3 plugins.

This is just complete nonsense. You've got your terminology all mixed up. Kontakt is a plugin. It loads libraries. Those libraries that it loads are libraries, not plugins. You can't load Kontakt (a plugin) in Kontakt and I don't know why you think you can.

That's because it is you who are mixed up. At least you deserve credit that you get that Kontakt is a plugin (which is a clue that's more than I can say for many frankly). But libraries are also indeed plugins. "Plugins" are not just special effects, despite the efforts of village idiots to try and promote that they are. It's anything added and accessed (i.e. "plugged in," hence the name) from your DAW.

[crimsonwarlock]

? Again: sample libraries are plugins, for starters, so yes it can load VST and VST3 plugins.

[sjm]

? Again: sample libraries are plugins, for starters, so yes it can load VST and VST3 plugins.

This is just complete nonsense. You've got your terminology all mixed up. Kontakt is a plugin. It loads libraries. Those libraries that it loads are libraries, not plugins. You can't load Kontakt (a plugin) in Kontakt and I don't know why you think you can.

That's because it is you who are mixed up. At least you deserve credit that you get that Kontakt is a plugin (which is a clue that's more than I can say for many frankly). But libraries are also indeed plugins. "Plugins" are not just special effects, despite the efforts of village idiots to try and promote that they are. It's anything added and accessed (i.e. "plugged in," hence the name) from your DAW.

You can't just redefine established terminology. You are confused about a core aspect of IT - the difference between executable code and data files.

Think of something like Word. Word is an application - it runs on a computer and provides core capabilities. This is the equivalent of a plugin, which is also executable code.

Then you have Word documents, which are not code, but data files. You need an application that can load and parse that data in order for it to make sense, and in order to do something with it. The data file on its own doesn't do anything - you can't "run" it, you need to load it into an application that can interpret the data. The equivalent with audio plugins are things like preset files or sample libraries. In this case, you were talking about sample libraries, which define things like what note triggers what samples, what velocity triggers what sample, what scripts are executed when a note is played etc. etc. And Kontakt is what actually interprets this data, loads up the samples, runs the scripts and generates the sound.

Executables are not data files, and data files are not executables. Instead of posting more nonsense and making yourself look silly, why not do a little bit of basic research and learn what the terms you have obviously misunderstood actually mean?

[skipscada]

Kontakt can’t host plugins.

Again, that is it's primary function.

It can load sample libraries. It can't load VST, VST3, or AU plugins.

? Again: sample libraries are plugins, for starters, so yes it can load VST and VST3 plugins.

https://www.reddit.com/r/confidentlyincorrect/

[zerocrossing]

Kontakt can’t host plugins.

Again, that is it's primary function.

It can load sample libraries. It can't load VST, VST3, or AU plugins.

? Again: sample libraries are plugins, for starters, so yes it can load VST and VST3 plugins.

You absolutely have no idea what you’re talking about.

A sample library is data that other software (like Kontakt) uses to create new data that is doled out in a sequence (well, fancier than that, but you get it).

A VST is a set of instructions. It can also contain data, but that’s not its primary function. Notice how there are no sample libraries that can work as stand alone instruments, but many plugins have stand alone versions.

Kontakt can not host plugins. Maschine can.

[zerocrossing]

I'd rather load up an instance of Surge XT. It has capabilities that blow the Model D out of the universe and doesn't cost a dime.

That’s a totally valid stance.

And it sounds 20-40% better! (Who remembers that shitshow? )

This is nonsense, in that “better” is subjective, and there’s no unit of measurement that can provide a meaningful percentage. I don’t have a Model D, but it has capabilities that Surge does not. I do have a synthesizer that has Model D cloned oscillators and a filter, and I can quite easily make many sounds that everyone would agree that sound better than a similar sound on Surge. You don’t need hardware, though. We could do the same thing with UAD’s Model D.

I don’t mean to demean Surge XT, but this does get to the crux of what I’m talking about. There are plenty of people who never set foot in a very high end restaurant, like the French Laundry, and still enjoy delicious food, but you can’t say that the French Laundry isn’t providing something different. You can use a car analogy too. There are people like my parents who just buy the latest Honda Accord every 4 years, and others who collect exotic and rare cars, vintage and new.

Whatever your opinion is on what works for you is fine, but there’s no one-size-fits-all. I’ve got 4 fairly high end hardware synths, 2 mid and 3 budget ones, plus dozens of plugins. I used to have one hardware workstation synth and a ROMpler based guitar synth, and that was fine for me for a decade. I was busy working with guitar sounds and had a lot of tools for effects. Many people have one guitar and an amp and are happy. There’s no right way.

[vurt]

everything is a plugin. even this fish im holding.

[Papuzzo]

The last quote above was a joke recalling a very famous Internet discussion about DAWs around 20 years ago. That's when I started asking people to define "better." No one could then, and no one can now. It's all subjective.