Top 5 favourite Software Synths!

[sinkmusic]

I have one minute to spend, so it's the fisrt time i post in such a thread (and i mean : there are no "best" synths, etc etc etc) :

In no particular order :


Payware :
- Helix (huge sound, low cpu, huuuuggeee featuresest) ;
- Zebra2 (maybe the first synth i try with goo presets to start with ?) ;
- Gladiator : this synth manages to pack a great featureset with quick tweakability, and it sounds good ;
- GlassViper : i do not like the GUI, but it sounds huge : it did't know snakes had balls, and it is higly underrated ;
- Reaktor5 : a full synth arsenal. Sometimes i'm bored with the NI sound, sometimes i just want it ;
- DiscoDSP DiscoVery Pro : does it make 6 ? Really ? Simple, a pleasure to tweak, layerable, solid-sounding.


Free :
- Daedalus : as nice-looking than nice-sounding
- Oatmeal : a very comprehensive feature-set, perfect for pads and soundscapes
- Odo U64Pro : 8bit goodness
- Mr Alias2 : because making something else than a VA is always good (and it runs onWin, Linux, Mac)
- SQ8L : it does not do only 80s, but it does it well !

[Francisco Cepero]

I could have referred you to some other forum, but times have changed...

These are the virtual synthesizers that keep creeping up in my songs, into two categories:

Payware:
(1) Toxic Biohazard - at first I was skeptical about it because I liked ToxicIII (I was forced to buy Synapse Audio ORION to get it but no complaints), and the latter synth is one of the best I encountered. But I couldn't resist Biohazard because it improves on an already impressive feature set. Especially I like the MIDI modulation matrix (but it has two fewer spots than ToxicIII ). The user could import waveforms -- that's something NIFM8 can't do!

(2) FM8 - I have to list this one because I love frequency modulation synthesis. I find Biohazard easier to patch, but FM8 could handle preset morphing and has astounding multi-stage envelopes for the operators' amplitude. It also comes with thousands of presets, and a large amount more sinewaves are available by importing DX7 SysEx data! WOW!

(3) Alpha - It's easy to use. It could sound wet even without reverb and delay and other audio effects. The freeware version of the first Alpha was the first synth I encountered which has a modulation matrix. I believe that's what still makes this synth special. You could probably run ten instances or more on a Pentium III machine -- that's another advantage.

(4) Adder - I was willing to take a chance with an additive synthesizer about six months ago, and I chose a good one. This one has modulations upon modulations. It comes with over 500 waveforms, and that's why some others who bought it might have used it as a plain wavetable synth. There are a few inspiring presets, in particular the ones offered by ProSounds.

(5) Anvilia Pro - I used the CM Edition for a couple of months before deciding to buy the Premium edition. Its combination of sound, filters and delay is outstanding, to say the least. It could load SoundFonts but the ones H.G.Fortune provided might be good enough for 10 thousand more ambient musictracks full of atmospherics! A couple of things would make it even better, such as modulation via note velocity.


Freeware:
(1) Dominator - (yes, how did you know I uploaded presets for it?!) - The chord mode sounds dreamy. Also, try putting the second and third oscillators in sync with the first one, and using pulse waves! I haven't heard that brutal sound from almost no other synth I used! And I've used too many for the past 365.25 days...

(2) Richman CM - One given away in COMPUTER MUSIC SPECIAL Issue No. 30 which might be the best Krakli synth IMHO. I have AAS String Studio VS-1 but Richman also sounds great; I'm not going to give it up! I like automating the hey out of it. It's too bad I had trouble automating it via MIDI CC's.

(3) Crystal - It may be old, but it's difficult to beat with modulations. It could be controlled via MIDI CC's, but I wish the FM Index and a couple other parameters were available as destination in the modulation matrix. It could handle SoundFonts too, but the simple waveforms are good enough. The preset randomization options it has are good inspiration!

(4) shortcircuit - yes, I know, it's a sampler, but it's fabulous! I have a lot of SoundFonts and REX files lying around and this sampler could handle them all. It easily supports multiple outputs and MIDI channels, is flexible with automation, and has a couple of interesting built-in audio effects (like the freq-shift delay). The author could have made a killing only if he found more time to develop it further.

(5) Synth1 - what is it about a fairly simple synthesizer that people keep coming up with presets for it? It's dead easy to use, and it sounds great. It's one of the most CPU-friendly synths around too. I always liked the freely assignable MIDI control, but I wish the rate and depth of both its LFOs could be handled via MIDI CC's.


Note: I don't have a favorite VSTi to choose over others, just like I don't like grading the music applications I use and the music I hear.

Have a pleasant day, everybody.

[jupiop]

Am I the only one who uses and adores efm synths? I think his stuff is marvelous. My top 5 are

5...efm-rju-63
4...efm-scp5
3...tal bassline
2...minimouge luxus
1...!!!!efm-Jup6!!!!!!:love: This baby with a reverb and tube effect will blow you away!!!!!

I am hoping to use these synths through my whole career to keep me a signature sound going.

[xerxes[no]]

5. fm8
4. reaktor
3. absynth
2. sylenth1
1. omnisphere

on my wishlist that i believe will crack top 5: zebra

[hangars liquides]

in no order, from those I've played with (there are so many I don't know)

reaktor 5 - forever in the list

omnisphere - so phat, standing out in the mix, would like to load my samples

synplant - so organically gorgeous, could be a milestone in music synthesis, at least in terms of ergonomics

alchemy - the 'best' sample manipulator so far ? - so easy to deal with, yet powerfull

gladiator - clear, simple, efficient

[Bariloche]

Thor (Reason 4)
Toxic 3 (Orion edition)
String Studio
Wusikstation
Morphine

Sorry Dude...but Thor synth is Crap (is ok for a Demo only but nothing Pro)

[james0tucson]

Hey everyone,

Whats your top 5 must have softsynths? I posted an article on my production site with audio samples with mine


http://www.producercafe.com/?p=94

TruePianos
Wusik (4)


I don't have 5 "must have's", I have two.

[ruud07]

Thor (Reason 4)
Toxic 3 (Orion edition)
String Studio
Wusikstation
Morphine

Sorry Dude...but Thor synth is Crap (is ok for a Demo only but nothing Pro)

Thor is crap in the hands of an amateur

[tehlord]

Thor (Reason 4)
Toxic 3 (Orion edition)
String Studio
Wusikstation
Morphine

Sorry Dude...but Thor synth is Crap (is ok for a Demo only but nothing Pro)

EPIC fail.

[RunBeerRun]

Paul McCartney used Thor all over the "Let it Be" album, with a Korg Oasis.

[elxsound]

Zebra 2
Twin 2
Olga
Operator (Live 8 )
Glass Viper

[sophtrazor]

GeForce IMPOSCAR

Sonic Charge Synplant

Spectrasonics Omnisphere

NI Absynth 4.0

All of my tracks have these

i just love the sound of ABL Pro but dont use it too much

[ReceptorDamage]

Gladiator 2
Alchemy
Firebird+
AAS Strum (Acoustic and Electric)
Operator

[tehlord]

My auto load in Cubase has 1 x Battery 3 and 4 x Sylenth


Nuff said really

[rob_lee]

Mine is:

1x groove agent 2x waldorf attack 8x sylenth and tuesday i'll add guru to that template on start up