List of the best VSTi's!

[zajac]

6/10/09 EDIT: I may or may not continue to update this with future posts. We'll just see how lazy I continue to be. Also. The VSTi 'Massive' is all I use now. With all the possible automating within it and the sheer amount of channels and wav's that you can shape, as well as the interface, it truly makes for the best one I have used to date! ...Anyways... Enjoy...

Alright. Quick rundown. This is going to be, or at least hoping to be, the official thread for the best VSTi's out there on the market. The list can consist of something I myself have thoroughly enjoyed using, as well as something you may like that is either free, or purchasable.

I just want to warn you that there are a lot of VST's listed that cost upwhere of several hundred dollars, which are nice for the people that are intrested in making industry standard music, to the less expensive $100 range for the good software, just not quite as powerful, to the even free VST's that anybody, new and expert alike, can be interested in getting a hold of. As a producer, I'm never satisfied with how many VSTi's I can have, and I always want more. I'm sure many of you feel the same way.

SO. Here is the list as I see it. All the links point towards www.kvraudio.com because they are seriously the #1 site in VST's. You can download additional free patches and packs if applicable. View the products site. Pricing. Rating. Features. Related VSTi's. Reviews. Buy the software. ETCETCETC!!!

Recommendations Thus Far: (Producer - # of VSTi's)

Myself & Gorlock - 14
TK_Breed - 2
/DJS\ - 5



Myself & Gorlock Recommend Using These - 14 VSTi's

Albino 2 (Rob Papen) - $239

Originally Posted by Albino 2

32-step arpeggiator ,"velocity values","tie" and "off" function for each step,
Several modes including a chord mode, modulation mode, up, down, up/down, up/down+, down/up, down/up+, as played and random mode. Keyboard retrigger on/off for the pattern ,Swing function,
Velocity of pattern or keyboard velocity mix knob. ,Save, load, copy, past, init functions for the complete arpeggiator settings. ,New preset browser. ,More than 1100 presets ,Chord memory mode, with the setting saved within a preset. ,Oscillator SYNC option in Analog Oscillator 2 and 4 ,New digital spectrum waveforms
Spread function for ultra fat detune sounds ,New Flanger FX ,Oscillators activity led ,Stereo panning knob in Phaser FX ,Additional new Chorus ,New GUI ,Keyboard velocity curve respond ,Microtuning for different scales, Indian, Arabic etc

Absynth 4 (Native Instruments) - $339

Originally Posted by Absynth 4

ABSYNTH 4 comes equipped with 1,200 KORE-configured sounds spanning a vast range of styles and sounds. From outlandish soundscapes and organic leads to liquid pads - it's all there. The KoreSound® Browser makes using the sounds fast and easy: Search and filter functions let you find presets according to specific characteristics and attributes – a truly intuitive and musical approach.

B4 (Native Instruments) - $229

Originally Posted by B4

9 drawbars per manual and 6 drawbars for the pedals, adjustable keyclick and flexible percussion. Tube amplifier and speaker cabinets engineered using Dynamic Tube Response technology. Scanner vibrato/chorus, rotary speaker, and tube amp distortion and overdrive. Integrated spring and studio reverb units. Audio input when used as an effects plug-in or standalone. 120 presets and 11 alternative tonewheels sets. Intuitive MIDI controller integration including MIDI learn and controller templates. Pedal legato and string bass modes make sophisticated playing techniques easy.

FM8 (Native Instruments) - $339

Originally Posted by FM8

Included with FM8 are over 960 ready-to-play factory sounds. Rich and detailed, these presets exemplify the strengths of FM synthesis, from dynamic digital pianos to bright, bold brass. Also included are a number of effect rack, sound morphing and arpeggio presets. The integrated KoreSound® Browser makes managing the KORE-configured presets fast and easy. Simply search and you will find - instantly.

Synth Pack Pro (Synapse Audio) - $99

Originally Posted by (Hydra, Scorpion, Poly 850, & Plucked Strings 4)

The oscillator routing can be switched between three radically different models, which is almost like having three different synthesizers in one - each model has it's own distinct character and sonic capabilities. The logical organization of the user interface makes it easy to maintain a good overview of the high number of parameters, and design your own original sounds. The online help system provides detailed information about every parameter. Two of the three oscillators have 39 preset waveforms, and can be individually saturated. Envelopes can be switched to percussive mode, turning the instrument into an extremely versatile drum sound synthesizer. A number of effects are built in: a chorus/delay effect with a tempo sync option, a special bass expansion unit for solid sub basses, and a roaring distortion effect. It comes with a library of 150 useful and imaginative presets, including house/club style organs, bells and percussions, basses, subtle ambient atmospheres, powerful leads and rich stereo pads.

ImpOSCar (gForce) - $99

Originally Posted by ImpOSCar

Extremely faithful analog modelling, 2 digitally controlled oscillators, 13 waveforms with Additive Wave Matrix, Multiple velocity, triggering, portamento and arpeggiator modes, 9 filter types with overdrive, cutoff, Q and separation, 2 envelope generators, Extensive LFO section with sync, Powerful effects section (including a duck delay), MIDI learn function with storable Continuous Controller maps, Full automation, 500+ designer patch library

Minimoog V (Arturia) - $249

Originally Posted by Minimoog V

3 oscillators offering multiple waveforms. The third oscillator can modulate either the first two oscillators or the filter ,1 mixer with a built-in overload circuit ,1 legendary 24 dB/oct resonant filter ,2 ADSR envelope generators ,1 external audio input ,1 external oscillator and filter modulation input ,1 modulation matrix offering up to six different connections between 12 sources and 32 destinations ,1 LFO which can be synchronised on the tempo of the host sequencer ,1 arpegiator which can also be synchronised in the same way
1 three-mode chorus ,1 stereo delay to be synchronised via MIDI ,Possibility to synchronise Osc2 on Osc1

Poizone (Image-Line) - $99

Originally Posted by Poizone

2 oscillators that can produce the two most popular and useful shapes for subtractive synthesis: fat, bright SAW and PULSE shapes, with adjustable pulse width. Noise generator. Ring modulation. Sync modulation. 16 voice polyphony. 4 voice UNISON with user-adjustable stereo panning and 'Octaver'. The Octaver expands the harmonic range and flexibility of the unison sound to support the creation of realistic 'vox-like' effects. 2 ADSR envelope generators. One for traditional envelope duties, the other can be user assigned. 3 FILTER modes - low pass, band pass and high pass. Keyboard and Velocity tracking for the filter. Multi-mode Arpeggiator. Noise Gate with an adjustable 16 step pattern. The gate features smoothness control and the ability to import/export patterns to .fxp files. DELAY effect, with tempo-synced click-free stereo delays and delay time modulation. Lo-cut and hi-cut for trancers! CHORUS with a warm sound with great unison emulation. MIDI learn feature with the ability to save/load MIDI setups to/from a patch. LFO and MOD WHEEL modulation. Can be assigned to a wide range of performance parameters in PoiZone.

Pro-53 (Native Instruments) - $229

Originally Posted by Pro-53

Authentic emulation of the legendary Prophet-5™ analog synthesizer ,576 selected classic and modern analog sounds included ,2 oscillators per voice, choice of pulse, triangle and saw-tooth waveforms
Oscillator detune and synchronization ,24dB low-pass filter with resonance and self oscillation, additional high-pass filter mode ,ADSR envelopes for amplitude and filter, invertible filter envelope ,Low Frequency Oscillator with numerous modulation options, LFO-envelope retrigger function ,Fully compatible with Prophet™-5 MIDI-SysEx program data ,Input for external audio signals ,Effects unit for chorus, flanging and echo, MIDI-syncable

Quadrasid (reFX) - $59

Originally Posted by Quadrasid

Four SID-chips emulated ,Filter, volume and pan per oscillator, Arpeggiator per oscillator, One wavetable per oscillator, Four LFOs per oscillator, Four envelopes per oscillator, Eight combiners per oscillator, 128 ready-to-use presets included

Pentagon I (rgcAudio) - $99

Originally Posted by Pentago I

Bank and Program selector, Program up/down, Program Name display/editor. 6 banks (A-F), 768 program capacity, 300 top-quality factory presets. Saves and Loads standard .fxb and .fxp files, plus a special file format to reload USER wavetables when reloading songs/programs (.p1). Compressed bank file format, to save space in song/bank files. All settings saved in the song. Copy/Paste/Initialize program utilities. Auto-load of Default file, utility to save Default File.

Superwave P8 (Superwave) - FREE!

Originally Posted by Superwave P8

It's perfect for trancy lead sounds and full,warm pads or strings. Superwave P8 has a clear, easy-to-use interface and when you turn a knob or clik a button it intantly becomes clear what the knob or button is for and what the posibilitys are. The presets contain al lot of nice sounds and with a little tweaking they sound just right in your music. The Superwave P8 is also very stable.

Mercury-1 (TC|Works) - FREE!

Originally Posted by Mercury-1

Monophonic Virtual Analogue Synthesizer, 4x multitimbral, 2 Oscillators plus Sub Oscillator, Sine, Saw Tooth, Triangle, Square and Pulse Waves, Pulse Width Modulation, Noise Generator for Oscillator 1 (White Noise), Oscillator Sync & Ring Modulation, 24 dB/Octave Low Pass Filter (4 pole) with Resonance, Two Envelope Generators, Extensive Modulation possibilities (MIDI assignable), LFO with Sine, Saw Tooth, Square and Sample & Hold, LFO synchronizable via MIDI, TC SoftSat™ drive for analogue sounding distortion

Vanguard (reFX) - $69

Originally Posted by Vanguard (My personal favorite!)

Advanced analog-modelling synthesis with 3 oscillators and up to 32 voices. 31 different oscillators. 3 low frequency oscillators. 13 different filter types with resonance. 2 ADSR envelopes with several modulation targets. Amplifier section with drive. Flexible and easy to use arpeggiator (not available in VANGUARD LITE). 16 step trancegate (not available in VANGUARD LITE). Built-in delay with four different types (not available in VANGUARD LITE). Built-in reverb (not available in VANGUARD LITE). Temporal effect parameters are tempo-sync'd to the VSTi host.

TK_Breed Recommends Using These - 2 VSTi's

Toxic III (Image-Line) - $99

Originally Posted by Toxic III

Hybrid FM-Subtractive synthesis engine. Low CPU usage with no loss of sound quality. 6 customizable, anti-aliasing oscillators, each providing a rich, noiseless spectrum. 6 ADSR Envelope Generators, one dedicated to each oscillator. A "warm", multimode, analog-modeled filter, featuring Low-Pass, Band-Pass, and High-Pass settings. A dedicated Envelope Generator tied to the filter. 2 free-shaped, tempo-syncable LFOs. FM and LFO matrix. Up to 64 voice polyphony. Up to 8 voices unison with stereo spreading. Support for any samplerate. Completely sample accurate. 2 comprehensive multi-effect modules, offering Flanger, Phaser, Reverb, Tape-Delay, and Chorus effects. 8 band, analog-modeled, parametric equalizer. An aggressive distortion module. A modern GUI design, featuring Maxx Claster's "Symmetric Interface" layout. 64-step sequencer, featuring Maxx Claster's "Smart-Sequencer" technology and double polyphonic capabilities. MIDI modulation matrix, allowing the user to route up to 10 MIDI controllers to modulate Toxic III parameters.

Orion Pro or Platinum (Synapse Audio) - $149-$298

Originally Posted by Orion Pro or Platinum

Orion Pro is the is the affordable edition of Orion, for beginners and experienced users alike. It provides all the essential tools to get you started making music with your computer: sequencer and playlist for arranging the parts of your song, a selection of Generators with preset sounds, a range of Effects to process and modify those sounds, and a Mixer with everything you need to to bring it all together. Orion Platinum is a complete virtual studio, including multitrack audio recording, a mixing desk with sub busses and effect returns, as well as powerful sequencers, generators and effects. All common interfaces, ReWire2, VST and DirectX are fully supported. Orion Platinum ships on CD with a 600 MB library of more than 800 royalty-free presets and high quality multisamples. Demo songs and tutorials are included as well.

/DJS\ Recommends Using These - 5 VSTi's

Hypersonic 2 (Steinberg) - $399

Originally Posted by Hypersonic 2

Phenomenal sonic variety courtesy of a combination of different synthesizer engines (analog, FM, Wavetable) and a sample player. Vast sound pool with patches, combis, drum kits and loops for almost every musical style from dance to classical. Polyphonically playable bar with up to 1,024 voices, 32 stereo outs and 16 MIDI channels per instance. Intuitive sound design using Hyperknobs for vital sound parameters, with MIDI learn included. Polyphonic arpeggiator and an extensive effects section.

AudioRealism Bass Line (AudioRealism) - $95

Originally Posted by AudioRealism Bass Line

Tone generator: 5 Octaves range (C1-C5). Two waveforms (Sawtooth and Square wave). Filter type: Low pass resonant. Filter range: 20Hz-22kHz resonance frequency. Filter slope: 18 or 24dB/octave. Envelope control: Modulation, Decay and Accent. Decay time approx 0.2 - 3.5 sec.

JunoX2 (reFX) - FREE!

Originally Posted by JunoX2

2 - 16 voice polyphonic (Selectable). 2 oscillators + Sub oscillator. 22 oscillator types. 8 Filter types. LFO. Fatness control.

z3ta+ (Cakewalk) - $139

Originally Posted by z3ta+

32-bit wavetable synthesis with three interpolation modes (DRAFT, NQ, HQ).
Full Stereo processing. 6 Oscillators, 60 built-in waveforms, 10 user loadable waveforms, PWM capable in all oscillators with any waveform. Loadable Wavetable Sets: Programs using different wavetable sets can be mixed in a bank. z3ta+ will find and load the appropriate wavetable set when the program is selected on-the-fly.

Beast (reFX) - $30

Originally Posted by Beast

Monophonic. Four oscillators with PWM. Two resonant filters. Basis feature for Ping-Pong effects. Distortion, Delay and Reverb. 64 presets.

You can all post VSTi's you personally use as well, and I'll add them to the list!!!

As far as HOW you can get some of these VSTi's, visit the links to go to the makers' website, try Googling it or something... Think outside the box if you have to :P ...And if you wanna talk about any of the VSTi's or anything of the sort, you can always add me to MSN messenger if you want... In fact... I WANT YOU to WANT to add me to MSN and message me

ANYWHO! I hope this just shows you a scratch at the surface at the sheer number of how many other VSTi's and what else is out there other than the preset VSTi's you may be used to! Hope this helps a lot! I'll update this on a normal basis. (Sticky would be tight )

[zajac]

As far as getting VST's and VSTi's added into your program, any program should have a type of Vstplugins folder, for example with FLS it's a plugins folder you need to specifically put them into, and Acid you go to preferences and search for your Vstplugins in any folder you wish to store them.

Unfortunately, with Reason 3, as well as the upcoming 4th version, you cannot host 3rd party VST's like you can with FLS, Acid, Cubase, Ableton, etcetcetc... I don't know what Propellerhead's problem is with integrating a feature like all other indutry standard sequencers have, but oh well... Only way you can use 3rd party VST's is to rewire to another program, for example Cubase, and run them through that way... Sorry, buddy... But I hope this helped

[DarkbearX]

YAY! I've been wanting vanguard for a while now, but had no way of getting it. IMing you now.

Sticky this someone, this thread is awesome!

[Cyanite]

Is Absynth even a VSTi? Or is it just a soundpack?

Sounds like something I might be able to use but I doubt I can afford it.

Great thread by the way.

[TK_Breed]

Toxic III Orion

[zajac]

@ Cyanite - Oh hellz yeah Absynth is a VSTi! Probably one of thee most advanced and in-depth VSTi's I've had the pleasure of using and playing around with! And if extremely advanced wasn't good enough, the way all of the actual Instruments and FX themselves are sorted to be browsed through is an amazing concept in itself! Why sort through a list of hundreds of choices, when you can just select multiple options of what type of sounds you're going for, and it will eventually narrow down the list to just a few!

@ KgZ - Will all the time and effort I put into this thread, I really am glad it's helped you a lot And hey... Check out the support section of Proppelerheads website to see guides on how to seamlessly rewire Reason to Cubase if you so wish... And if knowing Cubase is the problem, then just play around with it for a while, even look up some tutorials online to help... Next thing you know you'll be Rewiring VST's to Reason using Cubase as the host in NO TIME

@ TK_Breed - Thank you! And updated

[Starshot]

Thank god I'm not the only one to realize how amazing the Pentagon I is.

Anyway, some of the ones you missed:
Hypersonic-Amazing for every single little thing, from percussion to lead synths
Audio Realism Bass Line- If there ever was a VST that is purely the king of Acid House, this would be it.
Hydra-It takes a bit of tweaking, but you can get some damn nice sounds out of this one.
JunoX2-One of the most amazing Juno simulators on the face of the planet.
z3ta+-Great for pads, and maybe even some basslines.

[Cyanite]

Oh my God absynth is absolutely amazing, thanks a lot for suggesting it.

[zajac]

@ DJStarshot - Actually Hydra is one of the very first 3rd party VSTi's that I began playing with when I first started producing... I even remember the first day Gorlock showed it to me haha ...But it actually is one of my favorites in my list, it's just a part of the Synth Pack Pro by Synapse Audio... Two steps ahead of you buddy :P And JunoX2 is actually on my list... But I think I got ahead of myself and forgot to put it up... haha silly me :P But yep... Went ahead and updated the list with your recommendations Thanks for your input!

@ Cyanite - You're very welcome, buddeh!

[Starshot]

Oh, and zajac, my artist name changed from DJStarshot to /DJS\

Just sayin'

Edit: The reFX Beast is a fairly badass plugin.

[zajac]

Originally Posted by Starshot

Oh, and zajac, my artist name changed from DJStarshot to /DJS\

Just sayin'

Edit: The reFX Beast is a fairly badass plugin.

Updated

[Calcium Deposit]

I shall come up with a list of free VST's for us cheapskates who dont like paying for ****.

[Cyanite]

Another question

are there any other Native Instrument VSTi's with huge factory preset databases/KoreSound Browsers?

I have very little synth programming experience and programs like those are EXACTLY what I need at this point. Though if there are any others like Absynth/FM8, I'd like to know about those too..

[zajac]

@ Cyanite - There is, for example, Pro-53... And possibly some other ones, but I don't use any others, so I can't really say... But pretty much just check out the Native Instruments website to see what they have to offer... Most of the software they make is for a variety of different purposes though... Not all are all about synthesis creation and libraries of presets and such... They do a lot with Pianos, Drums, Sampling, etcetc... But I think if you have FM8 and Absynth 4, you're pretty much well set... And don't rely so much on having a large library of presets... Play around and see how synthesis creation and subtraction works and make your own unique sounding instruments

[Cyanite]

Eventually I'd like to get into synth production but right now, I'm much more concerned with the actual music creation more than anything.

Thanks for the tips though

[Cj_leonine]

This doesn't have anything to do with the thread but I'm guessing your going to be visiting FFR for a while?

[Flyleef]

Awesome, thanks!

[iPatcH]

One of my favorite VSTs of all time is YMCK's "Magical 8bit Plug"

Magical 8bit Plug is a plug-in style software-synthesizer for producing primitive electronic sounds like the old 8bit game consoles. In Macintosh environment, it runs with AU (Audio Units)-supporting applications: ex. Logic, Digital Performer, Garageband. In Windows environment it runs with VSTi supporting applications: ex. Cubase. Most of the software/hardware synthesizers include the most primitive waveform: square wave and pulse wave. But almost none of them include the pseudo-triangle or the low-resolution noise that will most characterize the 8bit sound's unique taste. Magical 8bit Plug will help you producing the old 8bit sounds by providing those unique waveforms.

Not only that, but it's absolutely free and for both Windows and Mac, so you could even hook it up to Garageband.

Link

Garritan Jazz & Big Band VST

The Industry's First Jazz & Big Band LibraryFeaturing Trumpets, Trombones, Comprehensive Saxophone collection, Keyboards, Rhythm Section - over 50 Individual Instruments
Create Realistic-Sounding Jazz & Big Band Arrangements Quickly and Easily. Build Your Own Bands and Jazz Ensembles
Includes the NI KONTAKT Sample Player. Works with Notation Programs. Great Sounding Instruments with Expressive Control.
Tongue/Slur Articulations, Intonation, Vibrato, Extended Ranges of the Instruments, Variety of Mutes & More.
On a single computer or laptop, Mac or PC, Standalone, VST, DX, AU, RTAS, and supported Notation programs.

Cost: $249

This absolutely one of the best plugins ever if you're looking for that amazing jazzy sound. The website has samples to hear as well. The downside? You have to have a pretty decent computer to run it, and at least a 2.4GHz processor.

Kil also made a song using this: http://www.muzie.co.jp/download/1844...ophopremix.mp3

Link


And for you ultimate Acid needs:

PHOSCYON

Phoscyon is a vintage analogue modeled Bassline synthesizer with a unique low pass filter with an 18db/oct dumping and constant resonance amplitude throughout the entire frequency domain. The filter sounds phenomenal! Hear that squelch and you’ll swear its analogue! We’ve also equipped it with a fully customizable integrated arpeggiator (essential in electronic music) as well as an exhaustively analogue modeled distortion effect, crucial for those screaming acid bass lines!

DRUMAZON

Drumazon synthesis emulates all the sounds of the original 9O9. All the instruments are synthesized in exactly the same way as the original. All the nuances and detail of the original are captured perfectly. In addition, all Drumazon instruments have enhanced controls. This extra functionality allows the user to adjust the sounds further than on the original unit. This opens up a whole new world of sound creation.

NEPHETON

Nepheton contains 17 fully synthesized instruments perfectly emulating the famous 808 drum machine. All the nuances and details of the instruments sounds are captured perfectly. The instruments models are equipped with additional controls giving you possibility to tweak the sound much better. Listen to the audio examples or just download the demo and try it out.

They are all in the hundred prices range, listed here: http://www.d16.pl/index.php?menu=3

But don't let that stop you... with those three, you have an amazing 303, 808, and 909 simulators on your hand.

With that said, don't forget ReBirth:

http://www.rebirthmuseum.com/

Which is now free to download and it is an AMAZING 303 emulator as well.

[TK_Breed]

your should do a similar thread with sample sound packs, cuz i know none and i remember you or gorlock saying you had many gigs of samples. just wondering where you guyz got THAT many.

[Bottlecaps Music]

Uh, I downloaded Triangle II by rgcAudio and I can't get it to work. I can't get it to play the sounds.