Suggest me 1 analogue sounding 3rd party synth to complement my Logic stock synths?
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- KVRist
- 108 posts since 25 Oct, 2025 from Next to Enid Sinclair
Surge XT
Tracktion Waveform 13
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- KVRian
- 1159 posts since 9 Apr, 2012
Oh I forgot that you are on a Mac.
Check out Beepstreet in the AppStore. Sunrizer, Zeeon and Dagger are afaik universal and should run on your Mac as well (not sure about this though). If they work then you will get 3 unique and very analogue sounding synths for the fraction of price as a desktop one. Sound wise they are equal to the aforementioned synths (U-HE etc.). Great Filters and envelopes, awesome oscillators with pwm and xmod, JP8000 Supersaw etc.
Check out Beepstreet in the AppStore. Sunrizer, Zeeon and Dagger are afaik universal and should run on your Mac as well (not sure about this though). If they work then you will get 3 unique and very analogue sounding synths for the fraction of price as a desktop one. Sound wise they are equal to the aforementioned synths (U-HE etc.). Great Filters and envelopes, awesome oscillators with pwm and xmod, JP8000 Supersaw etc.
Underground Music Production: Sound Design, Machine Funk, High Tech Soul
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- KVRAF
- 1710 posts since 25 Jul, 2009
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Echoes in the Attic Echoes in the Attic https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=180417
- KVRAF
- 12052 posts since 12 May, 2008
I’d start with some free ones: U-he Tyrell, OB-Xf, Tal Noisemaker, Cardinal VCV Rack.
For paid ones it’s such a personal thing when it comes to analog emulations. If you’re looking for variety, something that captures the spirit of many things, I’d probably say Diva or maybe Ana2.
For paid ones it’s such a personal thing when it comes to analog emulations. If you’re looking for variety, something that captures the spirit of many things, I’d probably say Diva or maybe Ana2.
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- KVRAF
- 23013 posts since 8 Oct, 2014
Wake me when every synth ever made has been mentioned.
Seriously, there are so many choices. Go to Google. Look up Analog VSTs. Go through the results and listen to as many denos as you can. Then make a decision.
Me? I would go with the new Zebra 3. It's not cheap but it can do just about anything and can sound very analog.
Good luck.
Seriously, there are so many choices. Go to Google. Look up Analog VSTs. Go through the results and listen to as many denos as you can. Then make a decision.
Me? I would go with the new Zebra 3. It's not cheap but it can do just about anything and can sound very analog.
Good luck.
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- KVRist
- 44 posts since 17 Jan, 2026
Since you said analog-sounding but also relatively simple, I'd recommend Softube Model 84 (Juno 106). It's osc sound raw and I like the filter, despite the Juno filter not getting much attention. For a slight bump in complexity, I'd also say the Softube Model 80 (Prophet 5) or the Gforce Prophet.
These sound phenomenal to me and just feel like straight-up synths. You'll probably benefit from a small amount of brushing up on the UI and manual, but they aren't beasts like a lot of synths. They're classics, really easy to navigate and always sound good.
Gforce Oddity 3 (Arp Odyssey) is my favorite analog emulation and I think it's a basically perfect. It has the exact sound of everything I loved about the original; the gritty oscillators, the duophonic mode and ring modulation and the nasally filters. I don't think I'd recommend it though if a clean UI and ease of use are important to you. The text is small, the synth layout is a little untraditional, and it has a lot of routing options. I'd only recommend trying the demo if the sound of the "punkest" synth ever made appeals to you. I heard that and think it applies since it can get so much more wild, even just on a basic oscillator tone level than the juno/phophet/moog and others. To get that attitude again in synth history, you almost have to fast forward decades to maybe the virus or eurorack.
These sound phenomenal to me and just feel like straight-up synths. You'll probably benefit from a small amount of brushing up on the UI and manual, but they aren't beasts like a lot of synths. They're classics, really easy to navigate and always sound good.
Gforce Oddity 3 (Arp Odyssey) is my favorite analog emulation and I think it's a basically perfect. It has the exact sound of everything I loved about the original; the gritty oscillators, the duophonic mode and ring modulation and the nasally filters. I don't think I'd recommend it though if a clean UI and ease of use are important to you. The text is small, the synth layout is a little untraditional, and it has a lot of routing options. I'd only recommend trying the demo if the sound of the "punkest" synth ever made appeals to you. I heard that and think it applies since it can get so much more wild, even just on a basic oscillator tone level than the juno/phophet/moog and others. To get that attitude again in synth history, you almost have to fast forward decades to maybe the virus or eurorack.
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- KVRer
- 2 posts since 26 Jun, 2026
Analogue, whilst typically subtractive does not mean any subtractive synth will sound authentically analogue.
For analogue sound some synths are specifically emulations of analogue synth hardware and it would be worth looking at those. Do demo them though cause some of the analogue virtual instruments from bigger developers do not not sound very good to my ears.
Listen out for hard sounding "scrape-y" filters at high resonance and dull, muddy, cloudy low definition sound which pretends to be warm. Many more of these than you would think.
There are 100s of commercial subtractive synths that sound great but not necessarily analogue.
You can help them all to feel analogue of course, typically with some gentle pitch modulation.
For analogue sound some synths are specifically emulations of analogue synth hardware and it would be worth looking at those. Do demo them though cause some of the analogue virtual instruments from bigger developers do not not sound very good to my ears.
Listen out for hard sounding "scrape-y" filters at high resonance and dull, muddy, cloudy low definition sound which pretends to be warm. Many more of these than you would think.
There are 100s of commercial subtractive synths that sound great but not necessarily analogue.
You can help them all to feel analogue of course, typically with some gentle pitch modulation.
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- KVRAF
- 2775 posts since 3 Dec, 2006
Can you list 5 of your recommended synths?DrOetker wrote: Sun Jul 05, 2026 8:02 am Analogue, whilst typically subtractive does not mean any subtractive synth will sound authentically analogue.
For analogue sound some synths are specifically emulations of analogue synth hardware and it would be worth looking at those. Do demo them though cause some of the analogue virtual instruments from bigger developers do not not sound very good to my ears.
Listen out for hard sounding "scrape-y" filters at high resonance and dull, muddy, cloudy low definition sound which pretends to be warm. Many more of these than you would think.
There are 100s of commercial subtractive synths that sound great but not necessarily analogue.
You can help them all to feel analogue of course, typically with some gentle pitch modulation.
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- KVRian
- 595 posts since 10 Jan, 2026
Proxima by SA is my current favourite.
Simple enough for anyone, but lots of options, and most importantly, sounds great.
I'm using it for bass and pad duties most of the time.
Simple enough for anyone, but lots of options, and most importantly, sounds great.
I'm using it for bass and pad duties most of the time.
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- KVRAF
- 35687 posts since 11 Apr, 2010 from Germany
I would slighty modify that to "Wake me when everyone's favorite synth ever made has been mentioned.", but, yeah...
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- KVRian
- 860 posts since 26 Aug, 2005 from Oregon, USA
I might also add that it's easy to make an Internet search and find out candidates and try them out themselves -- i.e. take initiative rather than asking others for info....
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- KVRAF
- 12226 posts since 7 Sep, 2006 from Roseville, CA
Until/unless you can define that with something more specific and tangible, you're not going to get any useful advice.
Logic Pro | LUNA Pro | OB-X8 | Prophet 6 | OB-6 | Rev2 | TEO-5 | Pro 3 | SE-1X | Minitaur | Deepmind 12D | Slim Phatty | TR-1000 | Analog RYTM mk2 | Digitakt 2 | TD-3 MO | TD-3 | Maschine+
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- KVRist
- 192 posts since 22 Aug, 2020
Ironically, the search "third party analog synths for Logic" has this thread (and its reddit counterpart) as the no. 1 resultksandvik wrote: Sun Jul 05, 2026 5:23 pm I might also add that it's easy to make an Internet search and find out candidates and try them out themselves -- i.e. take initiative rather than asking others for info....
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- KVRAF
- 35687 posts since 11 Apr, 2010 from Germany
When I take a look at that Logic Retro synth, it seems pretty well featured, so, I guess something similarly well featured would be appropriate.cryophonik wrote: Sun Jul 05, 2026 5:27 pmUntil/unless you can define that with something more specific and tangible, you're not going to get any useful advice.
I'd suggest *drum roll* Massive X.