There are quite a lot of causes to go for a software synthesizer over a hardware one. Software program program can faithfully emulate and broaden iconic fashions, present brave new sounds, and even present up to date strategies to synthesise audio – all at prices that are normally far lower than their bodily counterparts.
From legendary fashions to superior modular setups and newfangled gadgets, there are quite a few software program program polys to pick out from. We’ve rounded up 11 of our favourites, all with their very personal quirks that may preserve you busy for hours on end.
The 11 most interesting polyphonic synth plugins for all genres at a glance:
U-he Diva: A synth stalwart that additionally holds up in the meanwhile
- Value: $173/£138
- Synthesis: Digital Analogue/Subtractive
Diva is, probably, in all probability probably the most widespread mild synths in the marketplace.
Initially launched in 2011 by U-he – which reveals how successfully it holds up – Diva is renowned for its quite a few emulations of iconic synth components, such as a result of the oscillator sections based mostly totally on the Moog Minimoog, Roland Alpha Juno-2, Roland Jupiter assortment, Korg MS-20 and Roland JP-8000. There are moreover filters based mostly totally on the Moog Ladder filter, Oberheim SEM filter and further.
Even now, ten years after its distinctive launch, producers are shocked by its pristine, detailed sound, and its effectivity in the direction of vintage analogue synthesizers. The Trimmers panel means that you would be able to go all-out on making Diva sound additional analogue, with voice detuning per oscillator, voice drift and further. In case you’re obtainable out there for some retro synth flavours, Diva must be thought of considered one of your first stops.
Check the latest deals for Diva on Thomann.
Arturia Pigments 5: Inviting and extremely efficient — thought of considered one of our favourites
- Value: $206/£164
- Synthesis: Subtractive, wavetable, sample-based & additive
Arturia’s Pigments is now in its fifth iteration and further extremely efficient than ever. This synth plugin seems to be like and feels inviting to play due to shiny and detailed visualisers and its drag-and-drop-style modulation stacking. It sounds rich and detailed, too, due to its 5 sound engines, which give a wide range of sonic prospects for purchasers to find and manipulate. You’ll moreover uncover quite a lot of versatile filters and effects, along with eleven filter fashions and 18 high-quality outcomes, so chances are you’ll further type your sound.
Pigments is so good, that its earlier three editions have all deservedly been awarded 10/10 by MusicTech. In our review of Pigments 5, we confirmed that it’s nonetheless “thought of considered one of our absolute favourite synths”.
Check out the latest deals for Pigments 5 on Thomann.
GForce Oberheim OB-X: Fat, traditional sounds
- Value: $139/£111
- Synthesis: Digital analogue/Subtractive
GForce’s OB-X is the first-ever formally endorsed emulation of Oberheim’s iconic OB-X synth, having been created in shut cooperation with Tom Oberheim himself.
The GForce Oberheim OB-X captures its real sound, offering monophonic, polyphonic, legato, and unison set off modes, along with programmable Aftertouch. It goes further than the probabilities of {{hardware}}, with expanded Velocity controls and a powerful preset browser offering over 400 production-ready presets. It moreover incorporates GForce’s X-Modifier experience for full sound modulation.
Check the latest deals for OB-X at Thomann.
UAD x Moog Minimoog: The icon in your DAW
- Value: $250/£199
- Synthesis: Subtractive/Digital Analogue
Oberheim and GForce aren’t the one producers to have labored collectively on a software program program emulation of a legendary synth. In 2023, Universal Audio and Moog formally launched a plugin mannequin of the legendary Minimoog Model D, initially launched in 1970.
This plugin synth, you may argue, is sort of pretty much as good as you’re going to get with reference to recreating this conventional synth. Using personalized robotics for precise knob measurements, it exactly replicates module-to-module coupling and impedance, resulting in near-zero latency. Frequent Audio has moreover efficiently rebuilt Moog’s renowned ladder filters, oscillators and detailed pitch monitoring anomalies, making for distinctive, distorted, off-kilter {{hardware}} Moog sonics.
Check the latest deals for UAD x Moog Minimoog on Plugin Boutique.
Spectrasonics Omnisphere 2.8: Large sound palette with an intuitive format
- Value: $479/£339
- Synthesis: Sample, wavetable, granular, FM
Spectrasonics’ flagship mild synth is to not be uncared for. Omnisphere makes use of its distinctive STEAM synthesis and sampling engine to ship over 14,000 inspiring sounds that you might manipulate using granular, wavetable and FM synthesis, amongst totally different timbre-warping strategies. You could load as a lot as 20 oscillators per patch and modulate them using eight LFOs, 12 envelopes and 34 filter varieties, with the Flex-Mod modulation matrix serving to you get detailed with sound design. There are then 58 modulatable outcomes gadgets to further develop your patches.
In our review of the Omnisphere 2, we talked about: “Due to some genuinely progressive choices, to not level out a wealth of further sonic supplies to play with, it’s laborious to consider any software instrument delivering the an identical breadth and sheer sonic excellence as Omnisphere 2.”
Check out the latest deals for Omnisphere 2 on Amazon.
Kilohearts Half Plant: Limitless playground of sound design
- Value: $201/£160
- Synthesis: Wavetable, FM, Granular, Subtractive, Sample
From the earlier and trusty to the model new and fresh-faced: Phase Plant is an award-winning, cutting-edge semi-modular mild synth by Swedish mannequin Kilohearts that lets you modulate your sound in plentiful thrilling directions.
Its open modular construction lets you create the whole thing from straightforward synth riffs to superior and quite a few patches. With Kilohearts’ built-in outcomes and superior modulation capabilities, along with FM modulation and MPE compatibility, Half Plant is a steady different of soppy synth must you’re making an attempt to type your sound in cool new strategies.
Check out the latest deals for Phase Plant on Plugin Boutique.
Crucial: Unbelievable free synth
- Value: FREE
- Synthesis: Wavetable
The 2020-launched spectral-warping wavetable synth Vital by Vital Audio, sustaining itself as a free-to-download piece of software program program years since its launch, stays thought of considered one of music tech’s largest mysteries. Certain, the Main bundle doesn’t worth a dime (Skilled costs $80, unlocking 400+ presets and 25 wavetables), nevertheless even in its free form, it considerably holds up in the direction of totally different high-end mild synths on this itemizing, delivering sonics of a similar top quality. That makes Crucial a – dare we’re saying it – essential asset in your mild synth library.
The synth is known for its wavetable synthesis capabilities, intuitive client interface, and big number of modulation selections. With choices like personalized wavetable creation, spectral warping, and intuitive modulation, it acts as a no brainer for music producers on a funds – or not, frankly.
Download Vital for free at vital.audio.
Xfer Information Serum: Essential synth for EDM
- Value: $189
- Synthesis: Wavetable
Deadmau5 and Steve Duda’s Xfer Records spawned a strong go-to synth for a myriad producers in 2014. Ten years on, it’s nonetheless a significant synth for lots of inside the EDM world. It’s persistently prime on Splice’s plugins chart, and is utilized by Deadmau5 himself, Flume, What So Not and Marshmello, amongst others.
Serum is a sophisticated wavetable synth with 144 wavetables, 10 outcomes modules, drag-and-drop modulation routing and customised wavetable creation. Its pristine sound and intuitive interface make Serum a dream to navigate and create with, whether or not or not it’s large EDM leads or thick pads. It’s acknowledged to be a bit heavy on the CPU, though, so do attempt earlier than you buy and look at in case your system can take care of it.
Find out more about Serum at xferrecords.com.
Synplant 2 – Best AI-assisted synth
- Value: €149
- Synthesis: Subtractive
When Sonic Charge launched Synplant in 2009, it was laborious to tell whether or not or not its comparatively distinctive technique to synthesis was gamechanger or gimmick. Nonetheless on the very least, its pure and intuitive technique helped the instrument stand out inside the crowded world of synth plugins — and 2023 was the yr we lastly seen a sequel launched.
In distinction to plain methods, Synplant 2 lets you ‘develop’ sounds by planting seeds and adjusting parameters by means of a novel interface, assigning quite a few mutations of the distinctive sound to your keyboard so chances are you’ll shortly consider them. Uncover one you need? Merely plant it as a model new seed and develop it further.
A really thrilling attribute new to Synplant 2 is its Genopatch experience, which creates synth patches based mostly totally on user-supplied audio. It’s akin to sampling — moreover instead of participating in once more an audio file, Synplant makes use of artificial intelligence to synthesize the sound. It couldn’t get it correct regularly, nevertheless with a bit serendipity, you may land on one factor solely new and shocking. Read our full review of Synplant 2.
Find out more about Synplant 2 at soniccharge.com.
Softube Model 84 – Everyone needs a Juno
- Value: $159
- Synthesis: Digital analogue, subtractive
Softube’s Model 84 might be not the first software program program iteration of the Roland Juno-106, however it’s positively top-of-the-line, capturing the character of the beloved synthesizer with distinctive precision. This plugin doesn’t merely mimic the sound of the distinctive {{hardware}} — it enhances it with stylish capabilities corresponding to additional modulation selections, and an expanded filter half and envelope controls.
From silky pads to punchy basslines to shimmering leads, the Model 84 delivers buckets of real Juno tone, along with a reliable copy of the instrument’s chorus affect that’s famed for its lush, huge stereo presence. Check out our full Model 84 review for all the details.
Find out more about the Model 84 at softube.com.
Softube Model 77 – Best choice to get the Yamaha CS synths
- Value: $71
- Synthesis: Digital analogue, subtractive
The second Softube plugin in our itemizing, this developer is conscious of an element or two about recreating {{hardware}} synths inside the digital realm. The Model 77 takes inspiration from Yamaha’s iconic CS assortment, delivering the an identical expressive sound that has outlined quite a few conventional tracks.
On the coronary coronary heart of the plugin is a meticulous recreation of the distinctive analogue circuitry current in three fashions — the CS-50, CS-60, and CS-80.
The plugin goes previous emulation by together with choices like versatile modulation routing and further detailed envelope controls. What’s additional, the intuitive interface makes patch programming additional accessible than it was on the distinctive CS gadgets. In case you’re looking out for a workhorse that excels in rich pads and ethereal textures, the Model 77 is an excellent different. See our full review of the Model 77 for more information.
