Where to get started with soft synths

Get that song on tape! Errr... disk?
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cpeck
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Where to get started with soft synths

Post by cpeck » Sun Apr 24, 2016 12:45 pm

Title says it all. I have a Moog Rogue as well as a Micro Korg...love them, but I need some new sounds.

Soft synths are a field I know next to nothing about.

Looking for some places to start, and midi controller suggestions if you have them.

This will be for recording purposes. I am using pro tools 11 on a Mac.
Last edited by cpeck on Sun Apr 24, 2016 2:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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mackerelmint
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Re: Where to get started with soft synths

Post by mackerelmint » Sun Apr 24, 2016 2:27 pm

Dig around for freeware soft synths first. Quality varies, but there are advantages other than price. You can start with simple synths and move on to more complex ones as you learn, and you can suss out what type of synthesis works best for what you're after. Or, if you don't mind blowing a lump of cash, just get the Arturia collection and call it good.

As for controllers, there are plenty of very good ones. I'm partial to the akai mpk series, they're built rock solid and have the nicest keyboard I've played on a controller.
This is an excellent rectangle

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SummerLeftMe
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Re: Where to get started with soft synths

Post by SummerLeftMe » Sun Apr 24, 2016 3:07 pm

Depends on what kind of music you want to make I think.

I used alot of free vsts and what came with my daw until I bought Omnisphere. It is a huuuge library. But it has like every kind of synthesis in there. I use it for atmospheric, dream pop, old school analog stuff. It can do lots more than that. it is pretty expensive.

What music do you plan to make with it?

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Re: Where to get started with soft synths

Post by jthomas » Mon Apr 25, 2016 2:24 am

There is a British magazine: "Computer Music" that publishes a large collection of free software and trial limited use software that has several soft synths (as well as VST plug-ins, sequencers, etc). They used to include a disk in the magazine, but I believe that it is all downloaded now with a code from the magazine.

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cpeck
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Re: Where to get started with soft synths

Post by cpeck » Wed Apr 27, 2016 1:58 am

Great suggestions--thanks. I'm mostly interested in classic emulations to layer under guitar tracks. The Arturia stuff looks cool! But I'd like to keep it free while learning. The Akai controllers look great--looks like I've got some digging to do.

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Re: Where to get started with soft synths

Post by BearBoy » Wed Apr 27, 2016 2:39 am

TAL do a great free Juno 6/60 soft synth called TAL U-NO-62. You have to pay for the version 2 one but the original is available free from their website.

They also do a free SH-101 emulation called TAL-BassLine. Again, it's available free from their website.

Website is tal-software.com

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Re: Where to get started with soft synths

Post by zeoy » Wed Apr 27, 2016 6:19 am

+1 for TAL. Great plugins.

Another great "analog" polyphonic synth is Polyblit http://www.vst4free.com/free_vst.php?pl ... lit&id=241
For something more modern/edgy Foorius is excellent http://www.vst4free.com/free_vst.php?pl ... ius&id=263
U-he makes some of the best VSTs and some of them (zebralette, triple cheese) are free http://www.u-he.com/cms/

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Re: Where to get started with soft synths

Post by thecolorwaves » Tue Jan 24, 2017 3:45 pm

I've really been enjoying the Arturia V Collection. Their Jupiter-8 is very nice.

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