Whats the simplest layout VST synth with biggest palette of sounds for beginners?

[Ah_Dziz]

I'd say something free. Synth 1, surge, noisemaker, the "free serum" synth, dexed, podolski, zebralette, Tyrell N6, etc. "Biggest pallette of sounds" tends to run slightly contrary to simple layout. Also the method of achieving these sounds has a huge impact on the layout and the flexibility. I'd go with something with the layout of an old Nord (synth 1) or a Juno (multi wave single osc) for subtractive stuff. Honestly there's probably a better option in whatever host DAW this theoretical "beginner" is using than anything mentioned here. If you have a better description of the "pallette of sounds" that fits with what they want (comparison, genre, etc) that would be helpful in narrowing down the insane amount of options.

[IvyBirds]

I didn't see any negative comment on these--you must have just started reading at my post and thought it would be cool to slam on Repro--authentic recreations of absolute classics.

Why would I set out to slam one of my favorite plugins from one of my favorite developers?

Why would I set to slam the Prophet 5 sound in general a synth I have loved for 40+ years and have even owned in hardware form

The question originally asked in this thread was pretty basic

Whats the simplest layout VST synth with biggest palette of sounds for beginners?

And as much as I love the Prophet 5 sound, and as much as I love Repro, that ain't exactly what I would consider a synth the biggest pallet of sounds for a beginner or even expert for that matter

The entire reason "Romplers" exist is to provide a wide variety of sounds in an easy to get to way. The Korg Triton Extreme Plugin does that really well.

[BONES]

Well, no, it doesn't. I've been trying to think of a good, simple ROMpler that Id' recommend and I really can't come up with one. The Korg ones all have interfaces which make it harder to grok what's going on, which might not be terribly useful for a beginner.

I don't disagree that the Triton Extreme would give a huge palette of sounds, but it's a PCM "synth". It's more akin to a rompler with effects.

So what? It's a synth, it's made by one of the most famous and successful synth brands of all time, Korg. The OP wasn't asking about any specific kind of synth and anyone who read the question and didn't immediately think ROMpler is a idiot.

Sure, it's got a filter and Amp EG, but there's no modulation, other than LFO.

At the risk of repeating myself, so what? Triton Extreme has 4 x LFOs, 2 x Filter EGs, 2 x Pitch EGs and 2 x Amp EGs (2 x LFO and one of each EG per oscillator). It's actually quite complicated, with a multi-page interface, so it's not the first ROMpler that I'd recommend to anyone but to suggest it's not a proper synth is ridiculous.

Anyway, the best option I can think of right now is probably Invader 2. It's a good mix of simple yet flexible and it sounds really good. GR-8 is in a similar vein, although perhaps not quite as straightforward. But there are a couple of 3rd party patch libraries for it, which might be helpful.

I'm tempted to also suggest DS-Thorn but I think that's probably not the first synth you should acquaint yourself with. But it is a very straightforward synth to work with and there are a lot of sound libraries available for it. But maybe get the basics down first before you tackle it.

[Jbravo]

Synth1 - all controls in one place and I'm constantly amazed by the variety of very useful sounds you can make, plus all the thousands of free banks out there. When I'm composing a track I always use synth1 as a placeholder and invariably end up keeping it, but just layering some extra synth1 sounds on top. The architecture is not instantly intuitive but it would definitely be my desert island synth if I was only allowed one

[Nug Wrangler]

Agreed. Its a great synth

[djanthonyw]

u-he Tyrell is going to be the most simple that is also the best sounding free synth. Not sure why every keeps recommending synth1 when Tyrell is superior especially with the mona skin.

Next that isn’t free but still very simple, large sound options that is still a synth and not a rompler would be Roland System 8 and Sylenth.

[jlgrimes11]

A very open ended question.

Alot depends on what you want in a Synth or even consider to be a synth.

Do you plan on creating/modifying your own sounds, or do you plan on playing patches and layering samples and desire to play "realistic" acoustic instruments?

For synthesis

1. Serum (not a beginners synth but well laid out and easy to learn for a beginner). Vital is a great alternative. Really almost any Wavetables are great synths to learn on and covers a wide range of sounds.

Sample playback:

1. Korg Triton. Air Xpand2. Omnisphere. Nexus.

I think in the latter, the ball is more in your court on what exactly you want and what level of control you desire. Here the lack of control can be a plus sometimes especially if you just want to do simple layering

[BONES]

u-he Tyrell is going to be the most simple that is also the best sounding free synth. Not sure why every keeps recommending synth1 when Tyrell is superior especially with the mona skin.

I don't find Tyrell N6 to be terribly versatile, nor do I think it sounds any better than half-a-dozen other free synths I can think of off the top of my head.

Next that isn’t free but still very simple, large sound options that is still a synth and not a rompler would be Roland System 8 and Sylenth.

Sylenth 1 doesn't even do oscillator cross-modulation, does it? I don't think it even does Ring Mod so it's hardly versatile. It's also a piece of shit to work with.

[kvotchin]

Primer, possibly.

But honestly, whatever appeals to said beginner is a good place to start. The UI/UX can matter, and that’s fairly subjective.

Another thing: not all beginners are equal. Some might fare well starting with a synth like TAL Sampler (yes, it is one); others might be better off with Charlatan, say.

[concealed identity]

I'd go with u-he Tyrell N6, if possible with a different skin to improve readability. It's simple and easy to experiment with, but also a decently deep subtractive synth with loads of varied presets to take apart and learn from.

[Sidom]

Korg microKORG VST.

[Echoes in the Attic]

If we’re talking free then definitely tal noisemaker and Tyrell n6. I like those both more than some paid offerings by the same devs. And both very straight forward layout.

[audiojunkie]

I don’t believe cost was mentioned as being a concern.

[BONES]

Yeah, I'm not sure where that came from but it's a good way of dipping your toes without making nay kind of commitment. Mind you, synths with unlimited time demos are probably just as useful in that regard.

If we’re talking free then definitely tal noisemaker and Tyrell n6. I like those both more than some paid offerings by the same devs. And both very straight forward layout.

I've never understood the fuss about TAL. I own one of their synths but it doesn't really do much for me. They're competent enough but no better than plenty of others. Same with Tyrell N6, I don't find it easy to work with at all, for what it is, nor do I find it terribly inspiring. Again, it's OK but nothing special like GR-8 or Invader 2, or even Mono/Fury.

It seems to be to do with the brands more than their products. U-He, in particular, make some good stuff and some ordinary stuff. I take each product as it comes, the brand is completely irrelevant to my decisions to buy something or how I feel about it. Consequently, Hive is teh one and only U-He synth I can be bothered with, and even that's only because Ploki made a really good skin for it that makes it way more usable. All the hype makes it harder for popular brands like TAL or U-He, too, because I read so many good things about their products that it raises my expectations to the point I am almost certain to be disappointed. That, of course, is my ow stupid fault for listening to you f**king idiots. You'd think I'd have learned by now.

[concealed identity]

I don’t believe cost was mentioned as being a concern.

I think in a discussion about beginners it's a relevant factor, though. Look up any conversation on here about any synth (including this thread), and you'll see people disagreeing about whether or not a synth's UI is intuitive. And you also see loads of people saying they bought some instrument but stopped using it once they found something that suited them better, often lamenting all the money they've spent on software before figuring out what kind of workflow they like.

So starting with something free helps you learn what you like and dislike before throwing down a bunch of money on something you may regret purchasing in the future.