Audiotuts+ Top 6 Software Synths
I remember discovering pro synths way back in 1982. I was amazed – with one instrument you could create almost any sound you could imagine. I fell in love with them. Now we can do all that with software.
About a month ago I asked you what you thought was the best software synth. You answered. Five synths stood out above the rest. In this article we explore them.
[Update August 3rd: After I read NaitaOni's comment, I added a section for Synth1.]1. Zebra2
Website: u-he.com
Cost: $199
Description: “Zebra is our wireless modular synthesizer. It combines many different types of synthesis with a powerful modulation engine. Imagine – you can create any additive, freehand or spline-based waveform you like, apply a vast selection of spectral effects, morph between those waves and send them through classic synth filters. Perhaps use that entire sound as modulator for an FM oscillator, or route it through a comb filter – the building block of physical modeling synthesis. All generator modules, all signal paths, all effects are stereo.”
Comments:
- Zebra. I mean…… http://youtu.be/NmdEREBtTH0. Seriously….. (Victor)
- Only ZEBRA2!!! My favorite synth for all! Fat bass, strong lead, sweet pads & crazy FX! (Vadim Miner)
- +1 for u-he Zebra. It’s a complex yet extreme flexible beast. (Markus)
- I love Zebra too – so many great sounds – organic to totally twisted – still learning how to program it properly, but there’s so many great patches available to play with anyway! (Niggles)
2. Sylenth1
Website: lennardigital.com
Cost: €139 (ex VAT)
Description: “Sylenth1 is a virtual analog VSTi synthesizer that takes the definitions of quality and performance to a higher level. Until now only very few software synthesizers have been able to stand up to the sound quality standards of hardware synths. Sylenth1 is one that does. Sylenth1 is not just another synth. It was built from a producer’s point of view. It was built to produce superior quality sound and music. It was built to perform. A lot of research has been invested in order to achieve unheard warmth and clarity. The graphical interface ensures the highest level of usability so you can fully unleash your creativity.”
Comments:
- I havn’t really tried many but I do like Sylenth a lot. (Andrew)
- I have to say Sylenth, its my most used synth then Sytrus. (m4rt3z)
- I’ve personally become very found of the Lennar Digital Sylenth. Great sound, very dynamic, and has tons of great presets to get you stated off with. Just match it with a decent compressor (the compressor in the plugin kind of sucks) and you’ll have sweet synth sex in w/ DAW you’re using. I use it on Logic and Ableton on my PC. (AnDrew)
- It would have to be Sylenth for me for its quality analogue sound, great filters even in high frequencies and easy of use. (George Mitropapas)
3. KOMPLETE 7
Website: native-instruments.com
Cost: $489 from Amazon
Description: “KOMPLETE 7 is the latest version of the ultimate software collection from Native Instruments. Now bigger and better and featuring 24 KOMPLETE Instruments and Effects, this 90 GB package is bursting with more than 10,000 production-ready sounds for all styles and genres. KOMPLETE 7 features renowned flagship products like KONTAKT, GUITAR RIG and the redesigned REAKTOR 5.5 plus all-new instruments and effects from Native Instruments and brands like Abbey Road and Scarbee.”
Comments:
- Native Instruments Massive. You can make virtually any sound imaginable. The unique and odd waveforms supplied help create ridiculously complex sounds, but you can also do so much with just a saw wave. Anything from guitar sounds to 808 kicks are very easy to make with Massive’s easy-on-the-eyes set up. It’s a great synth to learn synthesis on, but also, in my opinion the most powerful out there now. (Pierce Guderski)
- I’m a big fan of Massive or anything really in the NI Komplete Collection. (Andrew)
- Native Instruments Massive and Absynth. (Hartzet)
4. Reason 5
Website: propellerhead.se
Cost: $349 from Amazon
Description: “Reason is a virtual studio rack with all the tools and instruments you need to turn your ideas into music. With its generous sound bank and intuitive flow, Reason helps you along in creative process, and is the music software that never gets in your way.”
Comments:
- Propellerhead’s Reason. It’s about as comprehensive as you can get for a synth. A very deep application with infinite combinations. A large support community supplying a lot of free sound refills. (Stevo)
- I am a huge fan of the Reason soft synths. Malstrom and Thor are extremely powerful, and I use them for most things. The other package I use is the Korg Legacy Collection. They’re getting older now, but they’re still very useful. (Matt)
- Reason 5′s Thor. The sound crafting abilities are amazing! (Andrew Olten)
5. Albino 3
Website: linplug.com
Cost: $179
Description: “Pads, leads, basses, weird noises, bell tones, FM-style purity or analogue grit – Albino can do the lot. In this respect, it could conceivably be the only soft synth you need”
Comments:
- That one you know well! For me its “Synth 1″ and Rob Papens “Albino”. (Toni)
- Linplug Albino 3. It can be used almost for everything. (Serge)
6. Synth1
Website: synth1.com
Cost: Free
Description: “Software synthesizer that supports VSTi plug-in format. This software is freeware. Functionally, it is modeled on the synth Clavia NORD LEAD2 Red.” (Google translation of Chinese text)
Comments:
- I have to give a vote to Zebra as well. Incredibly powerful modular synthesis, super-cool oscillator effects, slick user interface, and a healthy community of patch makers. In the free instrument world, you gotta give credit to Synth1 for its solid programming, CPU friendliness, and wide range of classic sounds. (Karl)
- That one you know well! For me its “Synth 1″ and Rob Papens “Albino”. (Toni)
Other Synths Mentioned
- Plogue ChipSounds
- Image-Line Sytrus
- KORG Legacy Collection
- Vember Audio Surge
- Waldorf Largo
- XILS-lab PolyKB
- FXpansions Dcam Synth Squad
- Spectrasonics Omnisphere
- AAS UltraAnalog
- Novation V-Station
Which synth is your favorite? Which did we miss? Are you tempted to check any of these out? Let us know in the comments.
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Where is MASSIVE? o.0
Massive is included in Number 3!
Great article. I’ve found most of the plugins in my current top5 aswell. Except for Reason5 (can’t wait for Reason 6 to be released btw!).
These are all amazing plugins, even though most of the time I find myself loading insane amounts of Sylenth1 which I have to say is an amazing all-round soft-synth. Great for trance, electro, dubstep, edm and what not.
Cheers,
Andrei
Why is Sylenth in that video a sexy black color? Mine is the typical green/brown. How do you change its skin color? Thanks!
My vote
1. Massive
2. Sylenth
3. Synplant (surprisingly good sounding and so much fun to use)
There are skins floating around on the internet… google them, I’m sure you’ll find something
Absynth by Native Instruments is much more pro than any of these, i’ve spent over 6 months with it, have read the manual and i’m still learning tricks and making insane noises with it. I try other synths but the depth in Absynth is top notch.
What? Really? Probably EVERY professional studio world wide has ALL the Spectrasonic’s products at their disposal? This article is for????? Electronica only???
Certainly Omnisphere is the undisputed King.
Hi ChucK. This article is summing up the software synths that Audiotuts readers love in a previous post – 30 comments in all. Omnisphere was mentioned – but only by one reader.
Please can you make some more threads about other instyuments?
I want to expand a bit my libraries!
AALTO (madrona labs)
LARGO (waldorf)
ALCHEMY (camel audio)
and the underrated Imposcar
ALCHEMY! Good Call.
There is also alot of good freeware synths out there. I miss Synth1 and Superwave on the list….really good synths and totally free…:)
The comments from “Karl” and “Toni” in the “Sylenth1″ paragraph seem to refer to the free “Synth 1″ instrument – which great, though a totally different beast than the mentioned “Sylenth1″…
Hi NaitaOni. It’s 5:30 am here. I don’t know why I woke up and decided to check comments. But now that I’ve read yours, I got out of bed and will add a Synth1 section to the post. I don’t know how I missed that! Thanks.
Camel Audio Alchemy deserves a spot in the top five. I’m very surprised it wasn’t included, even in the “other” category.
KOMPLETE7 is one of the nicest bangs for the buck by NI. Thanks for the post!
From time to time Predator gets handy. Especially for producers whose staple vst is Sylenth. Predator’s sound will compliment Sylenth’s sound nicely. Its features and interface can be perceived as “Sylenth expanded”.
Tone2 Gladiator and Firebird have killer patches, especially Gladiator’s tech-pizz, bass and voices. Z3ta is probably the God of omnipresent sawtooth pads destined to fill the mix to the fullest. And as for Image-Line products – if Sytrus is the undisputed #1 among young FL studio 10 hotheads, there is still some space left for
Poizone and Toxic’s cheap, but “true” abilities. Especially Poizone’s gate and Toxic’s “starter FM”.
Last but not the least – Steinberg’s Monologue is probably the nicest mono synth to play. Can’t go wrong with its noise bass – just authomatise osc1′s semi and don’t forget to bitcrush and compress the s^&*)% out of it afterwards.