Kontakt, Omnisphere, Modo Bass, Studio Drummer (and maybe Dune too)

 

What kinda annoys me with Dune and Spire that u cant scroll faster through presets. It takes so long to come to scroll to the bottom.

 

yes, present management is rubbish, otherwise they are great synths. I use Spire on pretty much everything, it's versatile, some of the pad sounds are amazing, from Bellatrix Audio especially. On the whole, most of the synths can sound the "same", and even Reasons Subtractor (ancient I know) but some of the sounds I created on it, I absolutely love!

 

Game changer discovered using the "Down Arrow" speeds up the scrolling A LOT

 

After all those years it's still good old Zebra2 for me. It's very versatile and has tons of GOOD presets by actual sound designers unlike some other synths and the perfect preset browser.

 

hmmm..i remember another similar thread like this when i joined and i spent the next hours reading comments to see best choices
and i started to look for these plugins and today i have 200 vsti/fx plugins (thats alot lol )
so i hope this reply can be read by new joinees to help them

it depends on what project im working on (i can choose any plugin and work on it no matter what style
but for speedy workflow these are my projects blue prints

if im working on 80s style projects i would go to
Korg legacy collection/Arturia plugins/Roland VS collection/refx nexus (and my 88 expansions)/UVI workstation and falcon expansions
and nothing else
and im working on more modern EDM /trance sound i would go to
dune 3/nexus /lethal/spectrasonics plugins (omnisphere/keyscape/trillion/stylus)
and nothing else

and if it was orchestra /new age /chill out project i would go to
kontakt portable (200 official and 3rd party libraries )/omnisphere pluginguru presets /HALion (padshop pro)
and nothing else

for dubstep /electro style i would go to sylenth/spire/serum/ avenger/gladiator and all rob papen plugins
and selected drums from ueberschall/stylus

and also i would little bit of these for everything (thorn/massive/proteusVX/EMULATOR X/WASP3/REPRO1 and 5/G-Force plugins )

i do use also samplers and sound libraries if im not satisfied with all above
and build everything from scratch

better yet work on what you have now in your collection,it doesnt matter what style or plugin you should use
all can do same job if you have the right mind set

good luck all

 

Being a synth-freak i have often go with a specific synthesis type according to my needs.
Here are some bread&butter and very honorable mentions:

Spoiler: SYNTHS

===PHYSICAL MODELING===
AAS VS3
AAS CHROMAPHONE
AAS LP 4
AAS GS3
IK MODO BASS
IK MODO DRUM
IL SAKURA
NUSOFTHING
GG BLUE3
GSi VB3
SWAM
PIANOTEQ PRO
ORGANTEQ

===ADDITIVE/SPECTRAL===
DS THORN
DS DIVERSION
IL HARMOR
IL MORPHINE
RP BLADE
AIR LOOM
BOLT
LINPLUG SPECTRAL
CYCLE64
IRIS2

===FM/PM/PD===
IL SYTRUS
SB APARILLO
FM8
WAVES FLOW
KHZ PHASE PLANT
HEXARACT
VIRTUALCZ

===VA/SUB===
DUNE3
SPIRE
ANA2
HIVE
CYPHER2
STROBE2
AAS UA3
ARCSYN
DAGER
SUNRISER
BASIC
ROB PAPEN

===ANALOG EMU===
UHE REPRO 5
UHE DIVA
OPX-PRO
ARP ODDESSY
ROLAND JUPITER 8
SYA THE LEGEND
XHUN LITTLE ONE
XILS4
SYNTHI
XILS POLYKB2
ROLAND SH 101
ROLAND TB 303
ARTURIA

===DIGITAL EMU===
ROLAND D-50
KORG M1
KORG WAVESTATION
KORG TRITON
ARTURIA DX7
VIRTUAL CZ
WALDORF LARGO
PPG WAVE
DISCOVERY PRO
VIPER
PHOSPHOR 2
PURITY (SOUNDCANVAS)

===WAVETABLE===
SERUM
RAPID
PIGMENTS 2
VAPORIZER 2
FATHOM SYNTH
DUNE 3
MASSIVE X
WALDORF NEVE
PPG WAVE 2.2/3/0
INFINITE PRO
WAVEGENERATOR
PHONEM
WAVEMAPPER 2

===GRANULAR===
PADSHOP 2
CRUSHER-X
AD QUANTA
GRANITE
ABSYNTH 5
THE MANGLE
NI STRAYLIGHT
OUTPUT PORTAL

===SOUND DESIGN/SFX===
SURGE
SB UNIQUE
SB FACTORY
SB OBSCURIUM
SB CYCLOP
GLITCHMACHINES
INEAR DISPLAY
EPLEX7
WIGGLE
OLGA
ZONE
BIOTEK
SYNPLANT
HG FORTUNE
HOMEGROWN SOUNDS
TURBO
CIRCLE2
HELIX
MADRONA LABS
112DB CASCADE
OCEAN SWI
KROTOS
TONSTRUM
LE SOUND
SOUNDMORPH
TOVUSOUND EDWARD
SLATE + ASH

===SAMPLER===
TAL SAMPLER
REDUX/RENOISE
IL DIRECT WAVE
TX16Wx

===LOOPER/GROOVEBOX===
HY-SLICER
SB LOOPERATOR
SB EGOIST
SB CONSEQUENCE
IL SLICEX
REGROOVER PRO

===HYBRID/WORKSTATION===
FALCON 2/UVI WORKSTATION
OMNISPHERE/KEYSCAPE/TRILIAN/STYLUSRMX
IK SAMPLETANK 4/SYNTRONIC DELUXE
HALION 6
KONTAKT 6

===MODULAR===
REAKTOR
VCV
VOLTAGE MODULAR
SOFTUBE MODULAR
ARTURIA MODULAR
SOLO RACK
PHASE PLANT
MSOUNDFACTORY
ZEBRA
BAZZILLE
REASON

===DRUMS===
XILS STIX
GEIST2
BFD3
SD3
AUDIOREALISM
BATTERY4
MACHINE2
KICK 2
PUNCHBOX
HEARTBEAT
ROLAND
D16
UJAM
AUDDICT PERCX
IK MODODRUM
AIR DRUM SYNTH 500
MICROTONIC
RP PUNCH2
RP RAW KICK
SB DRUMCOMPUTER
WAVE ALCHEMY (Kontakt)
TOTAL DRUMS (Kontakt)
PERCUCIAN STORE (UVI)
DRUM DESIGNER (UVI)
BEAT ANTHOLOGY (UVI)

===GUITARS===
AAS STRUM GS4
SB GUITARIST
UJAM
AMPLE SOUND
PROMINY (Kontakt)
ACOUSTIC SAMPLES (UVI)
VIR2 (Kontakt)
ILYA ELFIMOV (Kontakt)
ORANGE TREE (Kontakt)
IMPACT SOUNDWORKS (Kontakt)

Spoiler: KONTAKT Libs

(dev) SYNTH MAGIC
BLACK WIDOW 2
PE-3000
SOUNDS OF THE TRILOGY
DIGITAL LOVE CHILD
PHOBOS II
VECTOR X VOL 1 & 2
EXPLORATION 1
PHON 61
VECTOR X VOL 3 & 4
FARFISA POLYCHROME
QUADRA
ZED 80 VOL 1
JEN SX3000
SH-M
ZED 80 VOL 2
LOGAN BIG BAND
SID VICIOUS
POLYCOM
LOGAN VOCALIST
SIEL ORCHESTRA 2
8 OBLIQUE S
P8000
POLARIS
OB
SOUNDS OF THE DELTA

(dev) TRONSONIC
MICROTAPE BUNDLE
J4
SYSTEM 1000M
SOLINO STRING
TRONTO TRYLOGY
KORK M500

(dev) CL PROJECT
Golden Pad Factory
Silver Pad Factory
Bronze Pad Factory
Virologic
Virologic Expansion
Saffron Bass Synthesizer
Triode Lead Synthesizer
Neutron Pad Synthesizer
JD-850
OSA (Old School Arps)
Hypernova Polyphonic Synthesizer

(dev) HIDEAWAY
The String Collection II
Polivox
Chromatix
Synergenesis
6-Trax
Aliasonix
The Orbitone Collection I & II
The String Collection I
The Pentodian Resonator Choir
The Blue Zone 01-25
Bass Machine
e-Grand
Constellation Apollo 203A
Zero-1 Synth
The Cosmic Music Box
Monopolyphonix
S-VX

(dev) RHYTHMIC ROBOT
Cloud Chamber
Crank
Damaged Drums
Drawbar 350
Grit Kit
EII Synthulator
Drifter
Jennings Mk 2
Loopscape
Loopscape Vinyl
Shortwave
Poly 770
Platter
SpaceMan
Spark Gap
SteamPunk
Tubes & Wires
WaveCrest
Vintage Choirs
Uproar
102200
Bass III
DX Keys
Emulator II OMI Universe of Sounds: Vol 2
Elektrik Kalimba
DX Keys Deluxe
Godwin
HT6000
Hurdy Gurdy
Lorenzo
Lambda
Jennings
Magnus
OrgaTone 601
P15
PatchVault DX7 II Factory Set
PatchVault DX5 Custom Set 1
PatchVault 770
PatchVault ESQ1
PatchVault HT6000
PatchVault Jupi6 Factory Set
Prototype EP
PatchVault Poly6 Factory Set B
Sahara
SH Poly
Sheltone
Synthesizer 2000
Strings 202
Soviet Organ
VL Calc
Concert RF5
Doctor 110
Drumulator Plus
ElectroClaps
MiniDrums Junior
Mini-505
Memory Rhythm SR88
Lel
MR11
New Rhythm Box
Regal Rhythm
SQ Drums
Rytm 16
SuperDrums
SuperPerc
WurliBeat
Bad Bad Bass
Busker
SpecTalk
Snaps 'n' Claps PRO
StyloSynth

(dev) AUTODAFE
PROPHET 600
CHPT-1
OSCAR

(dev) SOUNDTRAX
BOOM CHAK
MINIPOLY

(dev) SZCZ
The Wineglass Drone
Spookomatic
Psychodrumma MKII
ReKombinator
Sawmill
Cracklefield
Electric Noisebow
Orchestra Enigmatica
Alimchord
Bassmeister
Beat Assembler XT

(dev) HYBRID TWO
PROJECT ALPHA
PROJECT BRAVO
PROJECT CHAOS

(dev) SOUND DUST
Cloud Bass
Cloud Cello
Cloud Viola²
Dulcitone 1884²
dULCITONE 1900²
Flutter Dust Module
Flutter Electronic Piano Module
Ghost Dulcitone 1900
GrandThrift autoHarp²
Hammr+
Hammr Growler
INFUNDIBULUM #1
Modular Chaos Engine #1.1 - Found
Modular Chaos Engine #2.1 - Evolved
Modular Chaos Engine #3 - OddHop
Modular Chaos Engine #4 - Steel Drum Percussion Room
ODDular
Orgone2
Pendleonium³
Plastic Ghost Piano
Prepared Pianet
Rubber Bass
Ships Piano³
Sponge Bass
Sponge Piano
Tiny Binaural Harpsichord³

(dev) ATOM HUB
THE PLANET
THE PLANET DEEP SCAN
MECHANIANO
CRYPTAR
MICROBIOLOGY

(dev) SQUARESAW SOUND
VC-SSS-3
SSS-POLYSYNTHI

(dev) NOISY MICHAEL
BASS Collection
SPINCYCLE
RESONATOR MKII
UNCONVENTIONAL BUNDLE

(dev) ARTICULATED SOUNDS
MAGIC ELEMENTS
RARE WINDS

(dev) FORGOTTEN KEYS
COMPU 78
OXYPOPS
SEVENTY7

(dev) PINKNOISE STUDIO
Analogue Monsters + Matrix
Analog Night
Deepflight2
EPIK4
LEMON
ORANGE 2
Evolver 2
Virology 2

(dev) PROJECTSAM
Symphobia 1, 2, 3
Symphobia Colours

(dev) OUTPUT
EXCHALE
SIGNAL
SUBSTANCE
REV
REV-X
ANALOG STRINGS
ANALOG BRASS AND WINDS
!!EXPANSIONS

(dev) WAVE ALCHEMY
DRUMALUTION
REVOLUTION
MUTATE
BASSYNTH

(dev) VIR2
APOLLO
AERIS
MALLETS
STICKS
VI.ONE
ELECTRI6ITY
ACOU6TICS

(dev) WAVELET
ATMOSPHERE
SENFINE

(dev) SONOKINETIK
The Watchmaker Clockworks
Bells & Whistles Cartoon Instruments
Speeldoos Music Box
Alphorn Swiss Mountain Horn
The Carnival Barrel Organs
Toll Tower bells & Carillon
Mallets Orchestral Melodic Percussion
Celesta Orchestral Mallets Keyboard
Arpeggio Large Orchestral Harp
Hurdy Gurdy Medieval String Instrument
Toccata Large Church Pipe Organ
EMP Rhodes Piano
Accordion 96 Basses Accordion
Sleigh Bells Jolly Bells Collection
Bowls Crystal Singing Bowls
Carillon Large Bell Idiophones
Chime Small Bronze & Silver Bells Idiophones
Sleigh Bells II Multi d Reindeer Bells
Oud Necked Bowl Lute - Turkish Oud
Steelpan Caribbean Percussion Instrument
Percussao Do Brasil Brazilian Percussion Collection
Gediz Turkish Male Vocal
Güzin Turkish Female Vocal
Delphi Greek Female Vocal
Qanun Middle Eastern String Instrument
Yemenite Yemenite Male Vocal
Sultan Drums Middle Eastern Percussion Collection
Sultan Strings Middle Eastern Strings Ensemble
Shahrazad Middle Eastern Clarinet Performance

(dev) BIG FISH [ethno collections]
ANCIENT WORLD
ZODIAC
SOLID STATE

(dev) LOOPMASTERS
MOOG TAURUS

(dev) Zero-G
Phaedra
EPICA
WHOOSH DESIGNER
IMPACT DESIGNER

(dev) GOTHIC INSTRUMENTS
DRONAR MASTER
SCULPTOR EPIC RISERS
SCULPTOR EPIC DROPS

(dev) Sonicsmiths
The Foundry

(dev) CRYPTOCIPHER
Voices Of Ancient India
Swarmandal
Solo Dholak
Dholak Loops
Tabla Tarang
Solo Tabla
Tabla Loops
BOL - Tabla Mouth Percussion
Voices Of Ragas Vol 2
Voices Of Ragas Vol 1
Bollywood Harmoniums
Tongue Drum

(dev) FROZEN PLAIN
OBELISK
SLOW
ARCTIC STRINGS
COLOURFORM
THE CHORDOPHONES
DUAL MUSIC BOX
PHOENIX
TERRACOTTA
FROSTPOINT
VICTORIAN MUSIC BOX

(dev) CINESAMPLES
VOICES OF WAR

(dev)HEVIOCITY
NOVO packs

(dev) SAMPLEPHONICS
DIRTY MODULAR

(dev) Standalone-music 7 Skies
GETLOW
(dev) Sonic Faction
ARCHETYPE

(dev) 8Dio
Choirs (Lacrimosa)

(dev) SPITFIRE
eDNA
BT Phobos

(dev) STREZOV SAMPLIMG
RHODOPE 2
BALKAN ETHNIC ORCHESTRA

(dev) BEST SERVICE
DRUMS OVERKILL
ETHNO WORLD 6
KWAYA
NITRON

(dev) Particular Sound
Modularium V2

(dev) AVIRAM
MUSIC BOX
ARABIC STRINGS

(dev) Rigid AUDIO
AQUIVER

(dev) AUDIO IMPERIA
Cerberus

(dev) HandHeldSound
FlyingHand Percussion

(dev) ILYA ELFIMOV
TOTAL GUITAR BUNDLE
TOTAL RUSSIAN BUNDLE
BASS BUNDLE
ETHNIC WINDS TOTAL BUNDLE

(dev) PROMINY
HUMMINGBIRD
V-METAL
SR5-2
SC
LPC ELECTRIC CLEAN
LPC ELECTRIC DISTORTED

(dev) IMPACT SOUNDWORKS
KORON: TRADITIONAL INSTRUMENTS OF IRAN
KOTO NATION: CLASSICAL INSTRUMENTS OF JAPAN
SITAR NATION: CLASSICAL INSTRUMENTS OF INDIA
PLECTRA SERIES 1: 8-STRING ACOUSTIC BOUZOUKI
PLECTRA SERIES 2: HIGHLAND HARPS
PLECTRA SERIES 3: KAZAKH DOMBRA
PLECTRA SERIES 4: TURKISH OUD
PLECTRA SERIES 5: GUZHENG
VENTUS SERIES BANSURI
VENTUS SERIES SHAKUHACHI
VENTUS SERIES TIN WHISTLE
VENTUS SERIES PAN FLUTES
VENTUS SERIES OCARINAS
FOREST FRAME DRUMS
SHREDDAGE 3 FULL

(dev) ORANGE TREE SAMPLES
EVOLUTION MANDOLIN
EVOLUTION FLATPICK 6
EVOLUTION MODERN NYLON
EVOLUTION STEEL STRINGS
EVOLUTION SONGWRITER
EVOLUTION JUMBO 12
EVOLUTION SITARDELIC
EVOLUTION RICK 12
EVOLUTION DRACUS
EVOLUTION STRATOSPHERE
EVOLUTION STRAWBERRY
EVOLUTION JAZZ ARCHTOP
EVOLUTION HOLLOWBODY BLUES
EVOLUTION ROCK STANDARD
EVOLUTION INFINITY
EVOLUTION TEXAS TWANG
ICONIC BASS JACO
CHERRY ELECTRIC BASS
EVOLUTION RICK
COREBASS PEAR
EVOLUTION FLATWOUND BASS
EVOLUTION ROUNDWOUND BASS

(dev) KWONKY INSTRUMENTS
EVERY-THINGS-KWONKY BUNDLE

(dev) SUONOPORO
VIRTUAL ANCIENT FLUTES COLLECTION

(dev) ALDEN NULDEN PRODUCTIONS
8 BIT GENERATOR
T-01 SYNTHESIZER
OLD RADIO

Spoiler: UVI Libs

UVI Pulsar
UVI Devinity
UVI Digital Motion
UVI SubCulture
UVI Ether Fields
UVI Atmospherics
UVI Cinematic Shades
UVI Eternal Funk
UVI SweepMachine
UVI Scratch Machine
UVI Xtreme FX
UVI Whoosh FX
UVI Meteor
UVI Synth Anthology 2
UVI String Machines 2
UVI Toy Suite
UVI Retro Organ Suite
UVI Key Suite Acoustic
UVI Key Suite Electric
UVI Key Suite Digital
UVI Augmented Piano
UVI Attack EP88
UVI EGP
UVI Orchestral Suite
UVI Percussion Store
UVI Mayhem of Loops
UVI Drum Designer
UVI URBAN X
IRCAM Prepared Piano
IRCAM Solo Instruments
VIRHARMONIC Choral Bundle
ACOUSTIC SAMPLES AS BASS BUNDLE
ACOUSTIC SAMPLES AS GUITAR BUNDLE
WORLD SUITE
ANALOG MOTION
SPECTRE
VINTAGE VAULT 3

Spoiler: PRESETS/SAMPLE PACKS

Bellatix Audio
The Unfinished
Triple Spiral Audio
Pluginguru
Plughugger
Sonic Underworld
Audiority
Ilio
Soundsdivine
Arte Nuovo
Gahrn Audio
Biome
Luftrum
Hollow Sun
Matt Bowdler
John Lemkhul
Simon Stockhausen
StringAudio
Triple Audio Sound
CL-Projects
Ikarus
Zenhizer
Tom Wolfe
PulseSetter Sounds
Sami Younes
Sound Dust
SubsonicArtz
That Worship Sound
MIDIssonance
Soundethers
Multperi
Pennysound
Snow Audio
Peter James
InSession
Freak Music
Beautiful Void

(I started this list more than 5 years ago and have continuously refining and updating it since)

 

Last edited: Feb 6, 2020

I generally go after Superior Drummer, Omnisphere, Keyscape and Diva first and Vb3 (1.4) and IK's B3-X, depending on what I'm doing. If I'm mocking up bass and guitars then usually Prominey SR5 Rock Bass or Trillian, Shreddage 3, and NI Strummed Acoustic and Orange Sunburst. Some of that stuff will make it to a mix waaaay down behind real guitars. But I agree that the song generally dictates the tools. I also like a lot of Hollow Sun's stuff and various weird little Kontakt libraries.

Oh and I challenge Exidus to make a song using every single last damn thing they posted there.

 

Ive found a mistake, Output Movement is not a Kontakt library

 

i love the sound of absynth. it was the first synth that i purchased. but it truly is a difficult synth if you're into sound design and not going to use presets. i'm surprised that native instruments never tried to improve the gui.

 

Currently Phase Plant

Look at this https://rhizomatic.fr/index.php/plasmonic/

 

Last edited: Feb 6, 2020

THAT will be one hell of a project file.. Not sure even Reaper could handle it... May be the help of 3-5 i9 256GB PCs connected with VEP and a sip of a magic potion to grow two more heads and several more arms would do it

 

nice treath xd. The best form for me is show you my channel presets(aka logic channel strip instrument), some presets don’t show the instrument name but most, and I miss 2 categories(amb and arp) but i think it is enough for you can view my favorite sounds.
I like work like this, for me creativity depends a lot of speed workflow(kontakt Instruments for example loads a lot of fast there) Note these presets have their chain effects too(delay reverb comp etc). cheers!

 

Do you Know Akai VIP?
https://www.akaipro.com/vip
If you want to work fast with presets, it's great. Vip is a stacker for plugins(great for create multis and it is multicore) but also (which is why I use it) look for the presets of many of your fav synths (and effects too) and tag them. You can then load presets that way without even opening the synth. It is a very fast way to search for presets that you do not even know that there are XDXD
Look this is capture of my VIP. Speed is the key here

 

Sylenth1 and Zebra2. End of discussion for me, all the others bring my bastard ancient CPU to its knees

 

"Dual to the deaf" seems like it should be funny, but other than that, I don't get what you mean. And it's not a theory, so...?

How do you know what they are holding back though?

No, it's not. And I didn't say that. Re-read what I said.

Yeah, it's pretty cool. I am pleasantly surprised by it, and I keep on going to it a lot recently.

 

For instance, you can watch deadmau5 streaming, producing tracks for his albums live, it's kinda difficult to hide a secret weapon that doesnt exist this way.

Then there are those that open the project file of a famous song and show elements of that, there you see how they create the coolest sounds from wierd stock VST instruments, an example would be Nicky Romero showing Tolouse.

One thing you gonna notice is, in order to create interesting movement, they use a lot of automations.

 

surge
zebra
MSoundFactory
reaktor

i use those more than any others, but do still turn to other synths when i need something specific

 

if it works for you then great. personally i dont know how you can resist the urge to tweak them

 

Kontakt
Massive
Nexus
Zebra
Dune 2
Xfer Cthulhu

As a starting Point