Synth samples?

ecktronic

ecktronic

Mixing and Mastering.
Does anyone know where I can get good quality synth samples, and other good quality samples?
I'm in the process of making a pop song. :D

Eck
 
ecktronic said:
Does anyone know where I can get good quality synth samples, and other good quality samples?
I'm in the process of making a pop song. :D

Eck
Click to expand...
Are you using a hardware or software sampler?
Can you import Akai programs or .wav files?
 
Its just wave files I'm using in Cubase SX.
I wish I had a MIDI keyboard and some nice programmes. :(

Eck
 
ecktronic said:
Its just wave files I'm using in Cubase SX.
I wish I had a MIDI keyboard and some nice programmes. :(

Eck
Click to expand...

Hmmmm, not sure what options are available. Maybe some softsynths?

I have not tried this but it's got good reviews:
http://www.greenoak.com/crystal/download.html

This looks impressive:
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/jez.price/synths.htm

Dig around in here:
http://www.audiomastermind.com/browse-free_vst_plugins-5886988-1.html

I'm not a softsynth user so I can't really recommend what's good. SynthEdit is alot of fun if you like sound design and it exports your creations as VSTs.
For not having a keyboard the softsynths are one way of doing it.

As far as actual samples you won't get far using a bunch of raw multisamples and trying to paste them together in your DAW - trust me I've tried (my song Dissolve had a little of that going on) :rolleyes:

Another option is free loops but then you'll find mostly limited genres of little use to somebody writing original music.

Another thing is absolutely do not discount your basic PC soundcard. Even older ones have a half decent FM multi-timbral chipset. Yes the sound aren't editable but EQ and FX can do wonders for them.

This looks neat: http://www.kotkasuniverse.com/paax_index.htm
If it actually load Akai S5/6K as advertised I can help you out with some nice programs.
 
Last edited:
Somnium7 said:
Another thing is absolutely do not discount your basic PC soundcard. Even older ones have a half decent FM multi-timbral chipset. Yes the sound aren't editable but EQ and FX can do wonders for them.

This looks neat: http://www.kotkasuniverse.com/paax_index.htm
If it actually load Akai S5/6K as advertised I can help you out with some nice programs.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the great reply!
I'm gona look into all these possibilities.

Not sure what you mean when you speak of FM multi-timbral chipset. :o

I installed paxx2 freeware VST, but I cant see it in Cubase even thought I copied it into my VST folder. gaa.

Eck
 
Somnium7 said:
Hmmmm, not sure what options are available. Maybe some softsynths?

I have not tried this but it's got good reviews:
http://www.greenoak.com/crystal/download.html

This looks impressive:
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/jez.price/synths.htm

Dig around in here:
http://www.audiomastermind.com/browse-free_vst_plugins-5886988-1.html
Click to expand...

I downloaded Wave! 1.3 from the 2nd link you posted.
For some reason I can't seem to find the plug-in even though I have copied it over to my VST folder again.
Am I meant to open a MIDI track then choose the plug in from there?

Sorry for my lack of knowledge I don't use MIDI but want to get into it.

Cheers,
Eck
 
ecktronic said:
Thanks for the great reply!
I'm gona look into all these possibilities.

Not sure what you mean when you speak of FM multi-timbral chipset. :o

I installed paxx2 freeware VST, but I cant see it in Cubase even thought I copied it into my VST folder. gaa.

Eck
Click to expand...

Most basic consumer model soundcards have a synthesizer built into them for General Midi or games. Some of these synthesizer chips use FM synthesis and others use sample playback - depends on the quality of the sound card. In most DAW programs if you do not select a specific Midi output for a Midi track it will default to the soundcard synthesizer if one exists. Remember these are only found on non-pro basic soundcards for the most part e.g. Sound Blaster.

In Cubase, from the top menu click Devices, then Plug-in Information. In the panel that opens check Shared VST Plug-ins Folders on the top left and be sure the proper path for your VST folder is in there.
If the path location is correct, click the Update List button. Now look through the list and see if everything in your VST folder is listed. For each plug-in in the list make sure the check on the left is actually checked.

Let me know what happens after this.

Also, be sure you unzipped the file properly and in the VST folder.
 
btw I just finished trying out paxx2 myself to see if it actually works. I had no problems with getting running in Cubase SE3 or Acid Pro 6 from my shared VST folder.

I will load my Akai programs too but not always gracefully. Most of the programs I tried played back ok but did not have any resemblance how they sound in the sampler itself. Velocity levels, envelopes and VCF settings were all wrong and where LFO was used in the Akai it didn't show in paxx2. More problematic was some programs with long samples would not stop playing the note on key-up and the entire sample played back in it's entirety. Kinda sucked with 25 second long samples.

Still, for free I ain't complaining. A useful little scratch-pad to have around.
 
Somnium7 said:
Most basic consumer model soundcards have a synthesizer built into them for General Midi or games. Some of these synthesizer chips use FM synthesis and others use sample playback - depends on the quality of the sound card. In most DAW programs if you do not select a specific Midi output for a Midi track it will default to the soundcard synthesizer if one exists. Remember these are only found on non-pro basic soundcards for the most part e.g. Sound Blaster.

In Cubase, from the top menu click Devices, then Plug-in Information. In the panel that opens check Shared VST Plug-ins Folders on the top left and be sure the proper path for your VST folder is in there.
If the path location is correct, click the Update List button. Now look through the list and see if everything in your VST folder is listed. For each plug-in in the list make sure the check on the left is actually checked.

Let me know what happens after this.

Also, be sure you unzipped the file properly and in the VST folder.
Click to expand...

I found the VST synths. I can only access them when I go to devices - VST instruments. I can't seem to see them when I go to a MIDI channel and try and add an effect. Not sure why not.

Cheers,
Eck
 
Eck try going to Devices > VST Instruments then in the number one position of that panel click in the black area that reads "No Instrument".
It will drop down a list of your instruments and Paxx2 should be in the list. Select Paxx. Now click on one of your Midi tracks. Add one if you don't have one. On the far left you'll see the connections inspector for the track. Where it reads "Out" click there and select Paxx.

You should be good to go now.
 
Somnium7 said:
Eck try going to Devices > VST Instruments then in the number one position of that panel click in the black area that reads "No Instrument".
It will drop down a list of your instruments and Paxx2 should be in the list. Select Paxx. Now click on one of your Midi tracks. Add one if you don't have one. On the far left you'll see the connections inspector for the track. Where it reads "Out" click there and select Paxx.

You should be good to go now.
Click to expand...

I did all that but I don't have any input into my audio channel from my MIDI channel, I can't even hear the virtual instrument. :(

Cheers,
Eck
 
ecktronic said:
I did all that but I don't have any input into my audio channel from my MIDI channel, I can't even hear the virtual instrument. :(

Cheers,
Eck
Click to expand...

Ok, I'm somewhat confused. Which virtual instrument are you trying to use?
Is this problem the same for everything you try?

Please describe the steps you are taking to add an instrument.
Also, describe the basics of your setup.
 
Somnium7 said:
Ok, I'm somewhat confused. Which virtual instrument are you trying to use?
Is this problem the same for everything you try?

Please describe the steps you are taking to add an instrument.
Also, describe the basics of your setup.
Click to expand...

Same problem with all VST insruments.

I went to Devices - VST instruments and chose LM7 (drum machine) on the 1st channel.
On my MIDI channel my input is set to "All MIDI inputs" and my output is set to LM7.
IU have drawn in some MIDI notes but when I play the track I dont hear anything. All I get is the MIDI channel meter with an input but nothing going into my VST audio track.

Any ideas what Im doing wrong?

Cheers,
Eck
 
Are there any synths in particular that you are looking for? i.e. 80's, 90's, virtual analog, ROMpler.

My suggestion is to buy a used rack module for your synth sounds. Something general purpose. Rack synths go for so cheap on eBay these days.

Synths to look at, depending on what you want to do:

Roland JD-990, XV 3080/5050/5080

Korg TR-Rack, Korg Wavestation SR

I also like the Emu Proteus 2000 line, but you need to have the right expansion boards in them.

Yamaha Motif rack

I've kept many of my rack modules because they sound great and frankly I've never been happy with sampled versions of ROMpler hardware. Because people are so plugin/softsynth crazy nowadays, these great synths are going very cheap on eBay.
 
ecktronic said:
Same problem with all VST insruments.

I went to Devices - VST instruments and chose LM7 (drum machine) on the 1st channel.
On my MIDI channel my input is set to "All MIDI inputs" and my output is set to LM7.
IU have drawn in some MIDI notes but when I play the track I dont hear anything. All I get is the MIDI channel meter with an input but nothing going into my VST audio track.

Any ideas what Im doing wrong?

Cheers,
Eck
Click to expand...

My first thought is you haven't drawn your notes on keys that actually have a sound mapped to them. In LM7 with the Percussion preset, all the sounds are between F#2 and F#3.
On the Compression preset they are spread around between C1 and D#2. In the Key editor window click on the keys of the virtual keyboard on the left side to find out where the samples are mapped.
 
Thanks all.
I managed to get the VST instruments to work, cant remember what I did to get them to work but they work fine now.

And yeah I never thought that some VST isntruments only have a certain range of notes.

Thanks all.
I'll be posting my pop song once its ready, hopeing to make a chart topper. :)

Eck
 
ecktronic said:
Thanks all.
I managed to get the VST instruments to work, cant remember what I did to get them to work but they work fine now.

And yeah I never thought that some VST isntruments only have a certain range of notes.

Thanks all.
I'll be posting my pop song once its ready, hopeing to make a chart topper. :)

Eck
Click to expand...

Glad to hear that Eck! Welcome to my geeky world of electronic music :D

PM or email me if you'd like some of my Akai programs for paxx2.
 
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