Question

[Syntheside]

Is there any Synth VST out there that can have square, saw, sine, triangle, FM, PWM and Super Saw waves? Also that can be custom created sounds without having to go out and buy an expensive ass keyboard or synth? What I want use it for is some electronic music, some lead sounds like Derek Sherinian, Jordan Rudess, Janne Warman Wirman and Jens Johansson. I really don't wanna buy hardware keyboards

 

[happyrat1]

There's literally hundreds of free VSTi plugins out there.

Just google "Free VSTi Plugin" for more hits than you can count..

Then there's all sorts of expensive VSTis out there as well if you feel like dropping a couple of bux on them.

Once again, Google is your friend.

Personally I don't care much for VSTis. They generally don't play nicely with Linux.

Gary

 

[Syntheside]

Believe me I'm not much of a VST guy either but I'm desperate and this Korg Microkorg can't give me everything. I got a Alesis Q88 and it doesn't get used much so I figured what the heck. Plus Korg Kronos is out of the question. Tried MusicLab RealEight and that doesn't sound realistic. So I'm gonna get a real guitar

 

[happyrat1]

Another option is to buy a hardware rack module like a used Roland Soundcanvas or used Korg TR or Triton Rack or a used Yamaha Motif Rack.

These would breathe new life into your Alesis for under $500 and you'd have all the advantages of hardware synths.

Gary

 

[SeaGtGruff]

I don't know if there's one soft synth that can do all that, but you can certainly get different ones that can do all that. There are some pretty good free soft synths out there-- e.g., see https://archive.org/details/HGFortuneNFG, http://www.vst4free.com/free_vst.php?id=405, http://glenstegner.com/softsynths.html, and http://asb2m10.github.io/dexed/. The best soft synths aren't free, but you can often find some good ones on sale from music stores such as Guitar Center, Musician's Friend, or Sweetwater.

 

[Syntheside]

Another option is to buy a hardware rack module like a used Roland Soundcanvas or used Korg TR or Triton Rack or a used Yamaha Motif Rack.

These would breathe new life into your Alesis for under $500 and you'd have all the advantages of hardware synths.

Gary

I heard Triton Rack is good but does it have Oscillators I need in a synthesizer

 

[SeaGtGruff]

As far as your original question, it doesn't cost anything to try some of the free soft synths which are available. Two of the ones I linked to are emulations of classic, iconic synths-- which wasn't obvious from their links:

Minimoog = http://www.vst4free.com/free_vst.php?id=405
ARP 2600 = http://glenstegner.com/softsynths.html

The Minimoog emulation (MinimogueVA) used to be freely downloadable from the developer's web site, but now seems to be available only through some of the free VST sites that had archived it. It's one of the virtual instruments included with Acoustica Mixcraft, which makes me wonder if that might have anything to do with why it's no longer directly available for free from the developer-- i.e., perhaps the programmer and Acoustica formed some sort of arrangement?

The first link is to over a dozen soft synths which used to be for sale from the programmer, but they were made freely available because the programmer passed away.

And Dexed (the fourth link I posted) is a free FM soft synth.

But if you have the money, and are a gigging musician, then a good hard synth is definitely preferable to lugging around a computer or laptop for playing soft synths.

 

[happyrat1]

Triton Series can do AI Synthesis which is Digital Synthesis.

Gary

 

[Alchemy]

As far as your original question, it doesn't cost anything to try some of the free soft synths which are available. Two of the ones I linked to are emulations of classic, iconic synths-- which wasn't obvious from their links:

Minimoog = http://www.vst4free.com/free_vst.php?id=405
ARP 2600 = http://glenstegner.com/softsynths.html

The Minimoog emulation (MinimogueVA) used to be freely downloadable from the developer's web site, but now seems to be available only through some of the free VST sites that had archived it. It's one of the virtual instruments included with Acoustica Mixcraft, which makes me wonder if that might have anything to do with why it's no longer directly available for free from the developer-- i.e., perhaps the programmer and Acoustica formed some sort of arrangement?

The first link is to over a dozen soft synths which used to be for sale from the programmer, but they were made freely available because the programmer passed away.

And Dexed (the fourth link I posted) is a free FM soft synth.

But if you have the money, and are a gigging musician, then a good hard synth is definitely preferable to lugging around a computer or laptop for playing soft synths.

Hi Sea, I downloaded the mini moog just for the heck of it and it's pretty cool but I wonder how you play it except with a mouse. Do you run a midi keyboard to it? Will it play midi files? Will it record to midi or compose?

 

[SeaGtGruff]

Well, I use it inside of a DAW, so I can either play it "live" with a keyboard controller, or create a MIDI track using the piano roll editor or notation editor and play it back through the VST. I think most or all of the settings can be controlled via MIDI, but I'll have to double-check and see.

 

[SeaGtGruff]

Hi Sea, I downloaded the mini moog just for the heck of it and it's pretty cool but I wonder how you play it except with a mouse. Do you run a midi keyboard to it? Will it play midi files? Will it record to midi or compose?

Okay, I checked and the MinimogueVA.zip file contains a text file named "MinimogueVA MIDI Controllers.txt" which lists each control on the soft synth and the default MIDI CC number which is assigned to it-- but you can also use the MIDI LEARN function to map any control on the soft synth to any suitable control on your hardware.

And as I mentioned earlier, you can use it inside your DAW, so you can play MIDI files to it or record it.

 

[Alchemy]

wow, as I was laying down for a nap before I saw your posts it hit me "maybe I can choose the mini moog as the synth in anvil studio just as I choose real keyboards." I suppose that is what you are saying or part of it? Just woke up this morning and tried it. IT SEEMS TO WORK! This is a new dimension for me. I tried playing a midi I edited for my Roland JV1080 thru the mini moog after setting up the mini moog in anvil. I think I needed to have the virtual mini moog window open. After I selected the mini moog for each instrument track I got a new column with sound level for each instrument track. The green bars jumped up and down apparently having sound on the tracks as the midi was played. I think it was only drum sounds that I heard. Now I realize maybe I have to choose "banks" or something for the instruments. I never expected to get many actual instrument sounds out of a mini moog but this thing has presets I guess. Anyway, I suppose I should have started this part in my own thread so it doesn't ruin his. You can tell I'm pretty new to this, the terms, definitions, virtual and PC stuff. https://www.keyboardforums.com/threads/keyboard-module-suggestions.27417/

 

[John Garside]

The other piece of software that I use to host VSTs, instead of a DAW, is Hermann Sieb's very useful program "VST host".
It can host multiple (copies of) VST's at the same time and seems to work flawlessly.
It can be found at http://hermannseib.com/english/vsthost.htm.
It initially looks quite techie to set up, but it's worth the outlay of time (IMHO).

 

[Syntheside]

wow, as I was laying down for a nap before I saw your posts it hit me "maybe I can choose the mini moog as the synth in anvil studio just as I choose real keyboards." I suppose that is what you are saying or part of it? Just woke up this morning and tried it. IT SEEMS TO WORK! This is a new dimension for me. I tried playing a midi I edited for my Roland JV1080 thru the mini moog after setting up the mini moog in anvil. I think I needed to have the virtual mini moog window open. After I selected the mini moog for each instrument track I got a new column with sound level for each instrument track. The green bars jumped up and down apparently having sound on the tracks as the midi was played. I think it was only drum sounds that I heard. Now I realize maybe I have to choose "banks" or something for the instruments. I never expected to get many actual instrument sounds out of a mini moog but this thing has presets I guess. Anyway, I suppose I should have started this part in my own thread so it doesn't ruin his. You can tell I'm pretty new to this, the terms, definitions, virtual and PC stuff. https://www.keyboardforums.com/threads/keyboard-module-suggestions.27417/

I just wish Moody's weren't so damn expensive!