I'm looking for a software Synthesizer...any recommendations?

[wolf70]

I'm new to music related software, so I'm coming at this from a near complete beginner status.

I was wondering if there is any synthesizer software around that I can control with my computer keyboard as opposed to a external hardware music keyboard, like you would buy at a music store. Free programs would be better to start, but low cost payware would be ok too, if they're worth the money.

I am currently doing some recording of guitar and vox and would like to add some backing synth sounds to add some more color to my sound. I don't want to have to buy an expensive keyboard to control the synth sounds, just to add a few additional backing sounds.

Any ideas of some software that I can do this with? It doesn't need to be controlled by my computer keyboard necessarily, maybe it would have it's own on-screen virtual keyboard that could be used to control which notes you want to play.

I'm just looking for a low cost and fairly easy way to add some software synth sounds to my recordings. Thanks for any helpful suggestions.

 

[ssscientist]

Do a search at KVR Audio.

Here's how to do it:

First, when you click the link about there will be a page with a column of options down the far left hand side of the page. Skip the first 2 ('Receptor' and 'News') and click the one that says 'Instruments, Effects, Hosts, Etc.' That will take you to a 'Database Query' page and if you scroll down you will see that there's lots of choices beneath the fold.

In order - 1a is 'general plugin/host type' --- choose 'instrument'.

1b is 'choose specific plugin/host type' --- be sure to uncheck 'all', then check as many as you want to come up in your search.

2a + 2b deal with 'hosts' - I usually check VST on both of these but I'm not sure if this really matters.

3. 'OS' -- choose your operating system - mine's Windows.

4. "Include' -- in this case you'd probably want to check 'free' only just to see what's out there.

5. 'Sample formats' - I usually leave this on the default which is 'any/ignore'.

6. 'Receptor Compatability' -- not being a Receptor owner I leave this @ the default which is 'ignore'

7. 'Development Environment' - leave this at 'All/Ignore'.

8. 'Sort by' - leave this at 'Developer' for now while you're searching but later on you may want to change it to a specific plugin you're looking for.

9. 'Results per Page' - I usually leave this at the default which is 15.

Recommended: RGC Triangle II, e-phonic Drumatic, EVM Synths Bassline, AudioNerdz Delay Lama (for laughs), Ugo's Motion, Rez, String Theory and Texture, SuperwaveP8, ReFx Claw, Majeken's Chimera and SubDuer, Ichiro Toda's Synth1, HG Fortune's Proto Plasm and Fuzzpilz Oatmeal.

You will need some kind of midi controller to play most of these.

There are hundreds of free VSTi's and this list is by no means all of the worthwhile ones --- there's new ones being released daily and it would be a part time job just to keep up with them.

The next category you'd probably want to explore is VST effects and there are just as many if not more of those in the 'free' category -- notable for their good quality are those by Kjaerhus. The search procedure is basically the same as it is for free instruments, except with 'effects' checked.

Good luck!

 

[wolf70]

Thanks for the help Ssscientist, I'll look into that.