Looking for Current Sounding Soft Synths

[Razor7Music]

Hey Group--

Does anyone have any recommendations for current sounding soft-synths that would work for Pop Rock, Alternative Rock? I have kontakt, but it could be a stand-alone too.

I'd like to see if I can grab one whilst many vendors are having big sales.

Thanks!

[andygabrys]

Lots out there. The programming of them is key - a lot of these synths can make similar sounds as they have similar oscillator setups etc. They do each have a "sound" though which is why some people will employ one for a certain song part over another.

You can also buy "presets" for a lot of current soft synths at places like Sample Magic for fairly inexpensive $$

Massive (and many from NI like Razor etc etc)
Serum
Sylenth
Diva (and all the u-he stuff)
various Rob Papen synths.
and many more

There are also other sounds in "romplers" that are pretty usable especially if you have application expansion packages:

Lethal
Nexus2

HTH.

[Razor7Music]

Lots out there. The programming of them is key - a lot of these synths can make similar sounds as they have similar oscillator setups etc. They do each have a "sound" though which is why some people will employ one for a certain song part over another.

You can also buy "presets" for a lot of current soft synths at places like Sample Magic for fairly inexpensive $$

Massive (and many from NI like Razor etc etc)
Serum
Sylenth
Diva (and all the u-he stuff)
various Rob Papen synths.
and many more

There are also other sounds in "romplers" that are pretty usable especially if you have application expansion packages:

Lethal
Nexus2

HTH.

Thanks, buddy. I'll check those out!

I agree I could dial-in some of the synth parameters of some I already have, but my issue is knowing where to tweak to make them sound current!

Cheers!

[andygabrys]

Google and YouTube.

Lots of tutorials out there on how to make synth presets that recreate pop tunes of today (and yesterday).

[Razor7Music]

Google and YouTube.

Lots of tutorials out there on how to make synth presets that recreate pop tunes of today (and yesterday).

Awesome, thanks again! Always a huge help, Andy.

Another forum asked me to give a couple of alas for the type of synth sounds I'm looking for, and it's kind of tough, but probably something like Foster the People, (Sit Next to Me) and Empire of the Sun (Walking on a Dream) - FYI

[andygabrys]

A lot of those sounds in those tunes have been around for eons.

80's synths are hip again.

Part of what makes them fresh is the music that surrounds them.
Part of what makes them fresh is the mix treatment.

Like eq / filter sweeps.
Like LFO side chain pumping effects (which might be from a filter or from a volume change)
Distortion or dirt on the sound.
Stereo widening.
Eq - cut bright tinkly top end off some sounds - like the typical DX7 sounds aren't so bright on the top end these days.

Walking on a dream intro is pretty retro - but then you get a bright snappy drum kit sound (with a doubled snare sound - electric plus acoustic biased heavily towards the electric sound) and electric guitar and electric bass to freshen it up. Listen to how wide the synths are and how the rest of the mix lives in the doughnut hole in the middle.

[MBantle]

A lot of those sounds in those tunes have been around for eons.

80's synths are hip again.

Part of what makes them fresh is the music that surrounds them.
Part of what makes them fresh is the mix treatment.

Like eq / filter sweeps.
Like LFO side chain pumping effects (which might be from a filter or from a volume change)
Distortion or dirt on the sound.
Stereo widening.
Eq - cut bright tinkly top end off some sounds - like the typical DX7 sounds aren't so bright on the top end these days.

Walking on a dream intro is pretty retro - but then you get a bright snappy drum kit sound (with a doubled snare sound - electric plus acoustic biased heavily towards the electric sound) and electric guitar and electric bass to freshen it up. Listen to how wide the synths are and how the rest of the mix lives in the doughnut hole in the middle.

Roland with its Cloud offer (as far as I remember the first 30 days are free with no credit card commitment and you get full access - just in case you need one of these bad boys for a project right now ) is a good option if you are looking for 80s Synths. I needed a sound from a Korg M1 and it seems Korg also put additional work into their VIs (the M1 is around 50 bucks as far as I remember). And, the new M1 VI sounds really great and +1 for all the Native Instruments stuff. They also offer genre specific 'Expansion Packs' that (in some cases) offer presets for their synths (such as Massive etc.).
Cheers,
Matt

[Razor7Music]

A lot of those sounds in those tunes have been around for eons.

80's synths are hip again.

Part of what makes them fresh is the music that surrounds them.
Part of what makes them fresh is the mix treatment.

Like eq / filter sweeps.
Like LFO side chain pumping effects (which might be from a filter or from a volume change)
Distortion or dirt on the sound.
Stereo widening.
Eq - cut bright tinkly top end off some sounds - like the typical DX7 sounds aren't so bright on the top end these days.

Walking on a dream intro is pretty retro - but then you get a bright snappy drum kit sound (with a doubled snare sound - electric plus acoustic biased heavily towards the electric sound) and electric guitar and electric bass to freshen it up. Listen to how wide the synths are and how the rest of the mix lives in the doughnut hole in the middle.

Andy, thanks again. I'll use some of your tips on a track I'm working on now that definitely has that retro 80s vibe going on. I've got 80s synths coming out my ears--so it sounds like it's coming down to the tweakage. I like the e-drum layered with analog drum snares technique. Going to give that a try!

[MBantle]

A lot of those sounds in those tunes have been around for eons.

80's synths are hip again.

Part of what makes them fresh is the music that surrounds them.
Part of what makes them fresh is the mix treatment.

Like eq / filter sweeps.
Like LFO side chain pumping effects (which might be from a filter or from a volume change)
Distortion or dirt on the sound.
Stereo widening.
Eq - cut bright tinkly top end off some sounds - like the typical DX7 sounds aren't so bright on the top end these days.

Walking on a dream intro is pretty retro - but then you get a bright snappy drum kit sound (with a doubled snare sound - electric plus acoustic biased heavily towards the electric sound) and electric guitar and electric bass to freshen it up. Listen to how wide the synths are and how the rest of the mix lives in the doughnut hole in the middle.

Andy, thanks again. I'll use some of your tips on a track I'm working on now that definitely has that retro 80s vibe going on. I've got 80s synths coming out my ears--so it sounds like it's coming down to the tweakage. I like the e-drum layered with analog drum snares technique. Going to give that a try!

P.S. It seems Splice also offers a lot of presets for e.g. Massive that are current sounding.

[andygabrys]

P.S. It seems Splice also offers a lot of presets for e.g. Massive that are current sounding.

yup Splice. Sample Magic, ADSR, and a host of other resellers.

what I said above still goes even with those presets though.