Softsynths & FX Thread

I checked out Twin v3 now and I have to say I don’t like the UI as much as I expected. Imho it looks good and the workflow is not really more complicated than in v3, but it just feels a bit strange to use for me. For some reason it really stresses me out that the env display partly overlaps the filter display. From what I have seen, there are 4 oscs instead of 3, a few more very basic effects and that’s basically it… So I guess I will pass on it.

Would be awesome to have something that does what Iris does with the time-dependent graphical Filter, but the similarities seem to be limited to the resynthesis. The filter section in the Halion spectral osc looks like a normal EQ to me. I could be wrong of course, just looked at some pictures.

Anyone hip to an iOS synth that is good for (in order of importance) pads, atmospheric sounds and SFX. I have AUM, FX apps and plenty of synths I can all combine in AUM but it would be nice to have a single go to app for that stuff.

No idea really but I read somewhere that there is an iOS thingy for Sugarbytes Aparillo which is an FM Synth with a simple and nice interface. I would usually vote for a nice wavetable synth, but not sure which ones are available for that platform - I think the ones I like are not.

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Ill check in on those ideas. It may not be ideal as it is a groovebox app but I do have a wavetable based Korg Electribe app.

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I don’t use iOS per se - I have an iPad which I never use to make music, despite thinking once I might want to try that. This is how I know that SynthMaster One is available. Probably a good one to work with.

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Cool! Thanks : ) I don’t use my iPad to make whole tracks, but it is a nice platform to run a single synth app and some FX and run it into a sampler to record. I hadn’t heard of SynthMaster One, will peep : )

Cool! Thanks : ) I don’t use my iPad to make whole tracks, but it is a nice platform to run a single synth app and some FX and run it into a sampler to record. I hadn’t heard of SynthMaster One, will peep : )

Not sure how I didn’t see this post the first time around, but…

For most people, Falcon and Halion are definitely overkill… or just Kontakt clones. Some people don’t even tweak a single parameter, and just use the premade sound libraries on them. Others like to get in there, overload it with FX, uncover the weird feedback devices, and eventually discover the scripting engine (both have these, BTW) to control crazy levels of detail and basically build their own instruments entirely.

I picked up Falcon a year and a half ago and I still love exploring its depth, but it feels a lot like a modular synth complete with its own development environment under the disguise of being a regular VST. I haven’t even mastered the entire API yet and it has quite a lot of tricks up its sleeve in that department. I think 99% of people would be so much happier with Vital than Falcon or Halion (especially since the WT counterparts are basically just a shitload of pre-stocked WTs when you can technically import your own in all 3 environments), but for the extreme dorks it’s a lot of fun for other reasons.

I can’t really speak for those who just use them as Kontakt clones because most of the libraries are pretty lackluster (not to mention the price point on doing so is horrible), but to each their own

Sooo, I hardly had time for music since what feels like forever and what happens? Duda releases effing Serum v2 :face_with_crossed_out_eyes:

And it’s free owners of v1 :raising_hands: - so I guess I have to open some DAW this weekend…

Anyone already checked this thing out? Seems like it has 3 OSCs now, multiple new OSC types, more and improved modulators, new filters, effects and more… lots of stuff…

Much love to Xfer for this and for giving it for free to Serum users! <3

Anyone already checked it out?

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I grabbed it because free update and vaguely tried it. I’ve always wanted to like Serum but it sounds cold/metallic to me (it’s hard to explain) and IDK it’s never rubbed me the right way. Serum 2 looks like more of the same. Yes, more OSCs and other added synthesis options but the overall sound is the same, judging by new presets I browsed through.

If you liked the 1st one, you’ll probably love this though (new filters, effects…)

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Yeah, I think I get what you mean regarding the sound. It’s a bit different from many other synths. For me it sounds very clean and digital, and often that’s exactly what I want, at least as a starting point. I usually have at least one Serum instance in every project. But I just love wavetable synthesis :grin:

There are many things I love about Serum, one being that Duda added stuff other synths didn’t have, such as LFO curve-point modulation. But I’m not up-to-date with the softsynth scene these days - it was luck that I even noticed that Serum has an update… :smiley:

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I have a soft spot for FL studio’s Sytrus. Sure, it’s extremely hard to use compared to something like Serum but you can do SO much with it.

Other than that, yeah Serum and '2 are my favourites because of how easy they are to use and the sheer amount of preset wavetables. I use serum for a metric butt-ton of sounds. Really any instrument that’s not percussion, vocals, etc. and hardcore kicks, too!
You can use the LFOs in serum to simulate Uptempo kick bass movement, meaning you can focus more of adding effects and cleaning up the kick itself in just one mixer slot (for FL Users. Ableton is SHIT for making Uptempo kicks :sweat_smile:)

I also quite enjoyed using Sylenth 1 and Vital for a while… Vital’s basically just free Serum so… That’s cool, IG.

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Sytrus was my first synth love. One of my tracks on the netlabel is based on some parts done in Sytrus during that time, many years ago. I never gave up on those parts until the track was released haha, specifically the 2nd track on this EP:

I was really sad at some point when I wanted to buy the VST version of Sytrus that was available for a short time and found out that it was discontinued. I got other FM synths, but nothing that clicks with me like Syrus did back in my FL days.

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Have you tried using FL as a plugin? Even though it’s a little shoddy because they don’t know how (or have no incentive) to actually fix their glaring issues, it’s a valid rewire alternative that you can pretty much stick in any other DAW.

I’m still waiting on an FX version, myself :smirking_face:

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I tried to look into ye olde Juicy VST pack that they did a while ago, you could probably find it buried somewhere in the interwebz.

The problem with running FL as a plugin is that it eats through CPU like there’s no tomorrow, and to get it working you need to jump through a lot of hoops.
Just having the stock standard fruity plugins would be great, because I CANNOT make hardcore kicks in Ableton.

Yeah, my rule of thumb is freeze (and/or) flatten (and/or) bounce immediately.

The real trick is that it never syncs right with the host DAW, so sometimes you have to bounce twice. But one of them will work just fine :sweat_smile:. And if you’re a real nerd who remembers, it’s better than qJack or Rewire!

My FL instance just kind of hovers around as the music maker machine, never really getting deleted but getting a shitload of different bounces out of it for different purposes. Pretty killer tool in the arsenal, though

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That’s a great idea, didn’t even know that was possible! But actually I don’t even have FL, I used I for a long time at a friends home before getting my own first DAW which was Reason… Then Live and finally Bitwig. Anyways, every few years I’m thinking about getting FL, the thought of using it as a plugin for Sytrus and maybe Harmor, too, might push me over the line to become a FL user again…

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Man, I cannot vouch enough for a good channel strip when it comes to speeding up your workflow.

I found this unassuming guy for $25 on Plugin Boutique, and it’s pretty fantastic. I know nothing about the brand otherwise and I figured it would be horseshit, but everything’s solid so far and now I don’t have to look at shitty visualizers anymore :rofl:

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Sonible have 66% off for the next 12 days

Their “smart” and “true” plugins are actually quite useful labor saving devices. I wouldn’t bother with any of the “pure” series though.

Sonible 12th Anniversary Sale

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