One Synth to Rule Them All

I'm all about finding the best tools, digging in, and getting to know them so you can just dial in what you need instead of tons of time being spent trying out tons of different stuff until something cool arises (tracker guy, go figure). I just want one solid, reliable go-to synth for sculpting my sounds.

So, if you had to choose one VST synth that was versatile, intuitive, and sounded great, what would it be?

DCAM: SYNTH SQUAD

good thread

  On 5/9/2010 at 8:21 AM, sneaksta303 said:

DCAM: SYNTH SQUAD

respect

amazing for electro

for me it would be massive, but that's only during this stretch of my music making career. for the long haul i'd probably use logic's es2... or fm8

have yet to acquire hardware, but plan on it

For synth vsts, I'd have to go with Blok Modular. But I don't think I'd use it exclusively, because there are things hardware & non-vst computer programs can do that no vst I have found can quite pull off.

ease of use - Imposcar

versatility - Terra 3 or Z3ta

analogue - Arturia Moog Modular

if only one probably the Terra3

Novation V station is great. Or maybe FM8, but it's more complicated.

  On 5/9/2010 at 2:45 PM, Jonas said:

reaktor

+1

fm8 + arturia arp 2300 are the only synth vsts im using atm...oh i guess massive too

edit: great avatar kiddies

The synth I use the most is actually the ES2 that comes with Logic Audio. Fuckin useful, very easily customizable and remarkably diverse.

Pro53

Right now I would say Zebra.

  On 5/9/2010 at 6:53 PM, futuregirlfriend said:

Right now I would say Zebra.

have you tried u-he ACE? it's pretty fun. even though it does less than Zebra I enjoy it more.

edit: Reaktor would be mu choice

I don't think you can get away with doing everything with just one synth. I mean I think i could probably have everything covered with just my Virus, but that's not a VST so... yeah I'll shut up now.

If you're really committed to just using ONE SINGLE VST for EVERYTHING i thing you can only go with Reaktor, Plogue Bidule, this sort of stuff...

  On 5/9/2010 at 7:13 PM, Hanratty said:

have you tried u-he ACE? it's pretty fun. even though it does less than Zebra I enjoy it more.edit: Reaktor would be mu choice

Sure I quite like ACE, but Zebra just has so many immediate usable bits and bobs. So far I haven't got around to really getting into Reaktor. My short attention span puts me off.

  On 5/9/2010 at 7:29 PM, Lube Saibot said:

I don't think you can get away with doing everything with just one synth. I mean I think i could probably have everything covered with just my Virus, but that's not a VST so... yeah I'll shut up now.

 

If you're really committed to just using ONE SINGLE VST for EVERYTHING i thing you can only go with Reaktor, Plogue Bidule, this sort of stuff...

I'm not planning on using just one, I just want to really familiarize myself with something great that can be my go-to plugin.

All of the mentions in this thread are IMO capable workhorse synths. Depends on what kind of sounds you go to most often really... if you're going for kinky and grimy and in-the-now I'd recommend the NI beasts and zebra... if you're going for warm and "analoguish" there's the D-CAM pack, that arturia one that combines all their individual releases, g-force babies like minimonsta and oddity... zeta+ is a great all-rounder with great performance-geared stuff and great onboard effects. Sylenth1 is a bit limited in some regards but for its sheer stacking and polyphony and filter coding it's a must-mention.

  On 5/9/2010 at 6:25 PM, placidburp said:

Pro53

Yes! I dunno if I'd peg it as the one and only synth for me but I use it time and time again because its pretty quick to work with and some of the sounds you can get are pretty lush.

i'm in love with max/msp, but in terms of a less open ended synth package.... probably tassman. tassman is truly like having a limitless modular. if you get into building synths with that you an get some amazingly lush analogue-like sounds.

i need a new soft synth to toy around with. think i may go with zebra.

or maybe i'll save up for a few months for a virus or something like that. i could use a virus

  On 5/10/2010 at 3:13 AM, vamos scorcho said:

i need a new soft synth to toy around with. think i may go with zebra.

 

 

or maybe i'll save up for a few months for a virus or something like that. i could use a virus

just get reaktor. i bought it during the $100 thanksgiving sale and i barely use zebra after that. was just playing with a juno-60 emulator in reaktor today, just awesome. and thats the most conservative stuff it can do.

yeah. i really should get reaktor. i feel like if i had that then i would have a lot of problems solved. i don't really care (at alllll) how analogue or thick it sounds, massive has my bass covered for now. and i plan to get a tetra or mopho soon enough for analogue sounds.

i made the mistake of thinking i could handle max/msp instead of reaktor and i bought that instead. i haven't touched it in months.

no i need to save up for analogue first if i'm going to truly get that massive as fuck chemical brothers prodigy "poison" style sound i'm looking for currently.

big beat revival!!!!!

hesitantly -- novation v-station

for a hardware synth, i'd pick a modular

This thread was going to be legendary until I saw the subtitle.

BTW- one synth to rule them all:

the synth i've had the most fun with is fabfilter twin 2

it's usually the only vsti i use