2025: The Year of the Monster Synth

[Ben H]

What makes a synth a "monster"?

Clearly a MONSTER synth is one that MASHES all the different synthesis types.

[Echoes in the Attic]

We got Serum 2, Omnisphere 3, Absynth 6, Zebra 3, Falcon 2026. Even Massive X got updated. I probably forgot things too. Pigments 6 and Current 2 were this year, I think.

2025 killed it, people. What's next?

There's another one still coming but I can't say what

New one or an update?

[vurt]

We got Serum 2, Omnisphere 3, Absynth 6, Zebra 3, Falcon 2026. Even Massive X got updated. I probably forgot things too. Pigments 6 and Current 2 were this year, I think.

2025 killed it, people. What's next?

There's another one still coming but I can't say what

wink once if it's a reaktor update.

[vurt]

What makes a synth a "monster"?

it's put together by a mad doctor, from dead bodies, helped by his hunch backed assistant.

[enCiphered]

I know you’re aiming for the heavyweights, but for me the real standout is Fors Pivot. It’s not a megasynth at all. More like a small, precise diamond that quietly outshines a lot of the bigger machines. Pivot strips FM down to what actually matters and somehow makes it feel inspiring instead of technical. It ended up replacing several of my go-to synths simply because it delivers character, focus and a workflow that never gets in the way.

I have had so much fun with Fors Tela - physical modelling is more interesting for me than FM, although I have made some nice patches in Pivot too. I agree minimalist synths can be so inspiring.

I haven’t tried Tela yet since it isn’t available for Windows but I can easily imagine it being a blast. Fors has a way of reducing an idea to its essence without losing depth, so if their take on physical modelling is anything like Pivot’s take on FM, it’s probably razor-sharp and full of character. Minimalism done right really does open up a different kind of creativity.

[BBFG#]

What makes a synth a "monster"?

it's put together by a mad doctor, from dead bodies, helped by his hunch backed assistant.

Or layered.
Which means everything is a monster and therefore nothing is.

[vurt]

well we reached the end of this thread quicker than usual

[swilow11]

How many of those do you "own", swillow11?

(zero for me)

Serum 2 and Massive X. Sold Falcon, Pigments, Current, etc earlier this year. Very likely to grab Zebra 3 soon.
Serum 2/Phase Plant/Massive X/FM8/Bitwig Grid are my main babies.

[swilow11]

We got Serum 2, Omnisphere 3, Absynth 6, Zebra 3, Falcon 2026. Even Massive X got updated. I probably forgot things too. Pigments 6 and Current 2 were this year, I think.

2025 killed it, people. What's next?

Hi swilow11,

Does Synthmaster 3 count?

Kind regards,

Living Room Rocker

Sure.

I guess to define a Monster Synth we coould be talking about things with maybe semi-modularity, multiple synthesis types, flexible routing, flexible modulation..or a combination of one or more or something completely different

Diva for example isn't a monster. Massive X however, is. Zebra 3 is a monster. Tal-Mod isnt. Kontrast isn't a monster. Pigments is. Why? Only the gods know. And I agree with em.

[MillerSam]

We got Serum 2, Omnisphere 3, Absynth 6, Zebra 3, Falcon 2026. Even Massive X got updated. I probably forgot things too. Pigments 6 and Current 2 were this year, I think.

2025 killed it, people. What's next?

There's another one still coming but I can't say what

New one or an update?

There is one more thing, I can't talk as well about it

[concealed identity]

My favorite thing about Current is that it doesn't feel like one of those "monster" do-it-all synths- everything in it feels deliberate and in service with the other functions. It's incredibly deep, but it feels like you never have to search for anything. Experimenting usually makes something sound more interesting and less often like garbled chaos. I think Serum 1 and Pigments are in a similar spot, but Serum 2 has sacrificed that usability a bit in place of more features (and Pigments may end up that way).

For me, the sounds I get from massive synths rarely end up being worth the time or effort, and slightly more focused ones are just more fun. I'm looking forward to trying out Zebra 3 to see how I get on with it.

[Echoes in the Attic]

What the OP calls monster synth I think of as a hybrid synth but not in the vintage hardware emulation style. The taking full advantage of software style, usually involves wave tables and a lot of modulation and often samples in some form. Omnisphere, Blue 3, Ana 2, Absynth, Icarus, Pigments, Synthmaster, Nexus, Falcon, Halion, Avenger, Rapid, Current, Serum, Phase Plant, Equator, Zebra (even though no samples), Massive X (same), Dune 3 (same), maybe Kontakt. Some are missing. We all know. Bit of a grey area of course.

I try not to have too many at once as they are typically so darn deep in just doesn’t make sense to have more than a few.

But yeah for 2025, was pretty stoked to see Omnisphere and Absynth updated. Serum update won me over and also finally picked up Dune 3. Not updated this year but just took me a while.

[twal]

My favorite thing about Current is that it doesn't feel like one of those "monster" do-it-all synths- everything in it feels deliberate and in service with the other functions. It's incredibly deep, but it feels like you never have to search for anything. Experimenting usually makes something sound more interesting and less often like garbled chaos. I think Serum 1 and Pigments are in a similar spot, but Serum 2 has sacrificed that usability a bit in place of more features (and Pigments may end up that way).

For me, the sounds I get from massive synths rarely end up being worth the time or effort, and slightly more focused ones are just more fun. I'm looking forward to trying out Zebra 3 to see how I get on with it.

Come to think of it, I rarely use supersynths for "supersynth" sounds. For most music the sounds are just too much. I use them as preset machines a lot of the time (like most people) and do sound design as well but usually for nothing too over the top. Most of the time I want simpler sounds. Tone2 has nailed sophisticated design, yet fast and playable presets- I've stayed away so far from Current for whatever reason, I think it was the sub thing that put me off at first...

What the OP calls monster synth I think of as a hybrid synth but not in the vintage hardware emulation style. The taking full advantage of software style, usually involves wave tables and a lot of modulation and often samples in some form. Omnisphere, Blue 3, Ana 2, Absynth, Icarus, Pigments, Falcon, Halion, Avenger, Rapid, Current, Serum, Phase Plant, Equator, Zebra (even though no samples), Massive X (same), Dune 3 (same), maybe Kontakt. Some are missing. We all know. Bit of a grey area of course.

I try not to have too many at once as they are typically so darn deep in just doesn’t make sense to have more than a few.

But yeah for 2025, was pretty stoked to see Omnisphere and Absynth updated. Serum update won me over and also finally picked up Dune 3. Not updated this year but just took me a while.

Yeah, I don't think there is really a reason to own so many supersynths. "Simpler" synths and emus have been more interesting to me as of late. LOOSE BRAINSTORM: Most synths will eventually have to have incredible random features, perhaps use AI, (like to use random preset/controls) and be nice and sleek (Absynth 6, Halogen)- Icarus is amazing for this like stated above; and you can see sales for Synthmaster which I like, going down this BF which I chalk up to difficult design, cpu hungry, no random, more popular synths added throughout time, and more deliberate synths being made imho, hope they can continue on and innovate...

EDIT: Synthmaster 2 and One were some of my most used synths for a time.

[Cuauhtli]

The Eighty and Mercury 8.

The real monsters are the CS80 and Jupiter 8 after all.

[Uncle E]

There is one more thing, I can't talk as well about it

Woah, I just found out what this is. If swilow11 didn't have previous knowledge of it, he might be a sage.