Trying to decide on a "analog" VST synth (beginner)

[V0RT3X]

Seems like maybe a lot for a beginner, but i think A.C.E by uhe might be a great place to start.

You’ll learn a lot of basic synthesis techniques that will apply to other synthesizer.

Definitely worth it for the low entry cost.

[Biscotto]

Thanks for all the answers! I spent the last night fiddling around with UheTyrell and reading it's manual; very educating! I also tried out the demo version of Diva, and it does sound great but is really quite heavy on the chip... of all the Uhe demos I've tried Ace still sounds the best to me, but maybe that's just because of the presets are of a certain kind?

Go for ACE then (follow you inner attraction)
Add Hive and you are covered for quite long time.

[Aevor]

I bought Ace. Somehow the modular logic seems to work better with my brain than the ones with a fixed signal path. Thanks everyone for your insights

[Distorted Horizon]

But.. ACE has a fixed signal path? Only difference to some other synth is that you drag cables instead of dialing in stuff in mod matrix.

[Aevor]

Hmm yes I guess you are right, it has the basic fixed path underneath.

[Aevor]

... did I mention I got it for 45$ from the buy/sell- forum here?

[fatterkeybed]

i suggest having a good midi keyboard for starters if you don´t already have one. with pitch and mod wheels to play with. 3 octaves at least. and midi control knobs to get the synth experience going.

[Jopol]

One often overlooked analog synth is Waves element 2. It’s kinda cpu heavy, but it’s a great synth for learning the basics in sound design as you have everything handy in one single window. Also it contains most of the functions needed to create lush sounds, and it comes with a ton of presets to get you going.
And it has been praised for its analog feel. It’s sounds great imo.
You can get it for very cheap.

[Vortifex]

Edited

[Readaz]

I agree that Diva and Analog Labs or Arturia V Collection are fun soft synths to start with

[Distorted Horizon]

I totally forgot this (free) gem

https://blamsoft.com/vst/vk-1-viking-synthesizer/

[4damind]

If you are not a sound designer, many people are often overwhelmed with very complex synths. In the end, only presets are used... Zebra might be one of them.

Synth with few controls but still sounding really good and are not focused to a special musical genre would be e.g. the Pro-5 from U-He or the various Minimoog emulations (Arturia or Synapse Audio).
Simple but also complex there would be Diva also from U-He.

[chk071]

I totally forgot this (free) gem

https://blamsoft.com/vst/vk-1-viking-synthesizer/

Didn't know that it was released for free.

Thanks for the heads up, just downloaded and installed it. Will play with it a bit later.

[Aevor]

I've liked ACE very much so far. I guess I am more of the sound designer mindset, as I really like just spending time going through the endless patching options and trying stuff out. I have to confess I also bought Bazille, as the concept of not having any pre-routed patching feels even better than ACE. I guess I now have enough options to last me a lifetime

[zerocrossing]

My vote would be to buy Diva. Here’s why. First off, it sounds great, but it also covers a wide range of styles, with it’s modules based on Moog, Roland, etc. The learning curve is a little bigger because of that, but it’s not too bad and the only really complicated part is the modulation modifier section, but you can basically ignore that until/if you’re ready. It also has a digital oscillator section based on the JP8000. It won’t get you DX7 tones, but it’s a nice way to extend your tone.

For DX7 tones, the king is DX7 V. It’s got the most clear interface and the sound is dead on, as far as I can tell. FM is a much bigger learning curve, but you can still use it a lot due to its large complement of presets. Once you get analog subtractive down, you can then tackle FM.