Help me choose a softsynth/other software instrument!

[MF_Kitten]

I´ve ordered an M-Audio Keystation 61 (61 keys as the name suggests, with an awesome feature: semi weighted keys for a nice feel! BOOYAH!), i´ve got s2.0 upgrade from DFHS and Metal Foundry on the way, and i´ve bought sum redwirez impulses.

all of these are on their way as we speak (except the impulses, which were a teeny weeny download), as well as the roter 8 that i´ll be doing a full inspection and analysis of.

now i have one more thing to get: a nice software instrument/synth.

i´ve downloaded demos of absynth 5 and massive, as well as a fantastic little thing called SynPlant (seriously TRY THAT SHIT!!!). i´ve looked at Truepianos, Vienna Grand Piano/New York Grand Piano (basically the Akoustic Piano plugin split up into 4 different pianos, and those are my favourites i think).

what else should i look into? i don´t need lead synth sounds or anything. i want something for ambient background stuff, and for evolving textures and pads and things like that. i like a large and wide thick sound most of the time. a built-in arpeggiator would be nice too. i´ve looked at the FM8 plugin, as the sound samples have certain things that i want. so i´ll be downloading and trying that too, obviously.

also, there are restrictions: it needs to be available as an AU plugin for mac, and it can´t be really expencive. the cheaper the better, really. the individual piano plugins from NI are pretty cheap, as is synplant. not too high above those, k?

GIMME SUGGESTIONS YARR!

 

[paintkilz]

Im handicapped, and didnt even see this thread. Im looking for some sort of software/vst that does the same thing, but i dont have a keyboard. how do you like that compared to like the on screen piano or key track?

is synplant available as a "demo" to tryout? ill check out the absynth.

people give him suggestions! haha.

 

[DrewsifStalin]

Native Instruments Massive

 

[MF_Kitten]

i´ve got demos of all these different synths, synplant included. just google it, they all have demos

Massive you say? i´ve got the demo, but haven´t had the chance to really wrap my mind around it. i don´t know what things do right now. i just need to read up a little on it though.

 

[synrgy]

Rob Papen's Albino:

Albino 3

The interface takes a little getting used to, but the capabilities are redonkulous.

 

[DrewsifStalin]

I keep hearing from my buddy that Massive is the shit

 

[MF_Kitten]

that´s what Nolly keeps telling me, and it´s what i hear everywhere too. Bulb used it in that live inerlude type song on his soundclick, and Red Seas Fire uses it in their songs...

it seems i´ll have to read up on how to mangle them controls around and figure out how to use it.

i´m thinking of buying Chipsounds too, because it´s just so cool. i´d just use presets mostly, as i´m mainly after the cheesy "oh yeah, it´s THAT sound!" effect

 

[tr0n]

Thanks for the heads up about Synplant, I'll check that out. I've been playing with Reaktor recently as well as the free Kore player download which has a few cool ambient presets inside the big free bundle. You can also get the Reaktor 5 player which comes with a really neat ambient synth. But it's actually a sound generator and therefore you can't control it with keys, and you may find it 'too' ambient for the purposes of metal. Worth checking out either way: NATIVE INSTRUMENTS : HOME | HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE FOR MUSICIANS, PRODUCERS, DJS, GUITAR AND BASS PLAYERS

This is pretty neat too: http://www.native-instruments.com/#/en/products/producer/powered-by-reaktor/reaktor-prism/overview/

 

[MF_Kitten]

oh right, i forget they make other smaller synths and stuff! i gotta have a look at some of these!

thanks bro!

in other news: picking up s2.0 and metal foundry today at the post office. FUCK YEAH!

i´m gunna try out the impulses and the drums once i get the hang of how metal foundry "sounds"

 

[Holy Katana]

Native Instruments Massive

This, definitely. I don't have Massive, but I have FM8, and I'd like to get Massive at some point. I've heard there's no softsynth that does big, fat, nasty basses and leads like Massive. I'd also love to get Reaktor, since you can do just about anything with it, and I'd like to make my own crazy synths.

I mostly use freeware softsynths, since I use Windows, and there are dozens of really good ones. Here's a great one I like that just happens to be available for Mac as both VST and AU: Crystal VST Instrument

EDIT: You've tried FM8? I really recommend it. It can do all of those really cheesy '80s sounds, but it can also do very modern-sounding stuff. I like it because it has a visual interface that makes programming it a lot easier, unlike the real-world synths it's based on, the Yamaha DX and TX series. It's a shame that a lot of people overlook FM synthesis because people always associate it with '80s sounds, since it's incredibly powerful, and you can get very unique sounds very quickly.

 

[Durero]

I've been using Logic Studio for years and I still haven't tried half the synths & synth patches it comes with. It's a huge bargain for the money.

 

[GalacticDeath]

I've been looking into some synths as well. From what I've heard Absynth and Omnisphere are pretty sick. I'm not really sure which one to get yet. Apparently Omnisphere is suppossed to be groundbreaking and it must be if Jordan Rudess is using it lol. But I might just get Absynth instead because I'm a little tight on money at the moment.

 

[GalacticDeath]

I've been using Logic Studio for years and I still haven't tried half the synths & synth patches it comes with. It's a huge bargain for the money.

Yep my brother has Logic too. They have a BUNCH of synths on there. I probably wouldn't be getting a soft synth if I had Logic Studio lol. Makes me wish I had a mac haha.

 

[MF_Kitten]

i like some of the logic synths, and i´ve been using them exclusively for my electronica stuff, but i find them hard to work with, and kinda "meh" sounding. more pro softsynths have a certain something to them that i like. flexibility and a warm fat huge sound, for example.

 

[Holy Katana]

i like some of the logic synths, and i´ve been using them exclusively for my electronica stuff, but i find them hard to work with, and kinda "meh" sounding. more pro softsynths have a certain something to them that i like. flexibility and a warm fat huge sound, for example.

Warm, fat, and huge? Anything by Arturia, but particularly their Minimoog and Moog Modular emulations.

Or you could spend another $200 and get yourself a Dave Smith Mopho, which is a desktop analog synth for only $400. I've got serious GAS for one. The only drawback is that it's monophonic. There's a four-voice polyphonic version called the Tetra that's $600, though.

 

[DrewsifStalin]

i would suggest native's absynth but it isnt a soft synth

 

[Santuzzo]

I'm using IK Multimedia's Sample Tank.
Actually I bought their total worksations 2 bundle which includes Sample Tank 2.5, Sonik Synth 2, Miroslav Philharmonik, Sample Moog and Sample Tron.
Altogether this stuff is more than I will ever need. And I am very satisfied with the sounds.

 

[MF_Kitten]

i don´t like samples. something about it doesn´t feel right for what i do. i like it when all the sound is 100% generated.

the moog type stuff isn´t for me either. i like huge warm and fat sounds, but not that kind of sounds. i mean large deep ambient-sounding bass drone sounds and stuff, for example.

absynth didn´t make any sense for me when i tried it. i have no damn clue what´s going on in there at all. it can make some nice sounds and stuff, but i have no idea how to use it myself

so far massive and fm8 are the best choises it seems. gotta narrow it down to one now!

 

[Holy Katana]

You're oddly picky. And your definition of "huge, warm, and fat" seems to be different than most people's.

i would suggest native's absynth but it isnt a soft synth

What? That's ridiculous. It's a softsynth, just like all of Native Instruments' other synths.

 

[DrewsifStalin]

You're oddly picky. And your definition of "huge, warm, and fat" seems to be different than most people's.


What? That's ridiculous. It's a softsynth, just like all of Native Instruments' other synths.

oh... well uhh....













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