Looking for a good VST Synth for around $200

[kb420]

I really can't believe that no one has mentioned Synthmaster. http://www.kv331audio.com/



It comes with plenty of great sounds, especially if you get the "Everything Bundle", and it really is highly tweakable.

[Shift Gorden]

I really can't believe that no one has mentioned Synthmaster. http://www.kv331audio.com/



It comes with plenty of great sounds, especially if you get the "Everything Bundle", and it really is highly tweakable.

I've been following this thread and trying out most of the synths mentioned...

Mate, I just tried this and went ahead and bought it. What an amazing synth. It's fantastic! The price is great - can't wait to mess around with it this weekend.

[Stromkraft]

I really can't believe that no one has mentioned Synthmaster. http://www.kv331audio.com/



It comes with plenty of great sounds, especially if you get the "Everything Bundle", and it really is highly tweakable.

Sounds intriguing indeed.

[Shift Gorden]

Try it, mate. I had a few install headaches, but this synth is sexy time. Haven't quite got my head around it yet - but it's got a great sound.

[crystalmsc]

I would like to start moving away from Ableton's instruments and expand my VST library. I am getting bored of Ableton's Analog and Operator synths and would like something with a little more power and customization. I am looking for something that is great for producing ambient pads and/or synth leads for Dubstep, Electro House, and Glitch Hop. My price range is around $200

imho Cubase Elements 8 is the most valuable package, not only you got Halion Sonic SE (Trip is dope!) and Beat Agents SE which are the same version as the Cubase Pro instrument, only with less patches/samples. But you got a decent VST3 host and a very mature and good looking DAW. Plus a bunch of quality effects which can be used in a very polished mixer. Is there anything like that for just $99? Plus you can rewire Ableton vice versa. It's a good alternative if you are boring with Live instruments, but sometime it's not the paint..but the canvas. The downside is that the instruments are Cubase exclusive, not a regular VST. But if you planned to work in a fresh environment, it's a great value.

[Division Monarchy]

Maybe you should look into this... It looks like a nicely designed bundle that will run in M4L. It seems versatile and within your price range. I haven't yet tried it but I've been contemplating it for a while now.

http://sonicfaction.com/products/ableton/archetype/

[puzzlefactory]

Check out Serum as well.
https://www.xferrecords.com/products/serum

+1

Great synth!

[chauvin]

http://www.native-instruments.com/fr/pr ... reaktor-6/
The king is back... almost everything synths are possible with this stuff.
(but without retina display support)
Cheers !

[Machinesworking]

Loom by Air music Tech used to be RTAS only I hear, but it's been AU and VST forever now. Top tier additive synth.
It's on sale right now with two other Air Music synths. I might just purchase this for the other two synths. Loom is worth the price alone.

Serious, this is a total steal just for Loom!

http://www.pluginboutique.com/product/1 ... -Exclusive

[Stromkraft]

Loom by Air music Tech used to be RTAS only I hear, but it's been AU and VST forever now. Top tier additive synth.
It's on sale right now with two other Air Music synths. I might just purchase this for the other two synths. Loom is worth the price alone.

Serious, this is a total steal just for Loom! 8O

http://www.pluginboutique.com/product/1 ... -Exclusive

Worth checking out also if you already own Razor?

My fav Z3TA+ 2 is also on sale at the moment at Pluginboutique for $77.19.

I don't really need any new synths. Oddity 2 feels like the next soft synth for me if I ever get another, but I'm not sure I need that at all as Z3TA+ 2 gets more work all the time in my sets. It gives me tingles just using it, just as Razor does when I hit the magic spots.

It's quite likely my next bigger purchase will be a physical machine for just the soft synths I use.

[Stromkraft]

Check out Serum as well.
https://www.xferrecords.com/products/serum

Just as with Razor I'd be more interested in Serum if someone showed me something not being a growl of some kind. I just want pure non-digital sound if that makes sense. Razor is very digital, but the great oscillator modulation, the dynamic filters, shapers and so on that allows me to construct otherworldly and acoustic-style sounds makes up for that.

(That's my two thousandth post.)

[Machinesworking]

Loom by Air music Tech used to be RTAS only I hear, but it's been AU and VST forever now. Top tier additive synth.
It's on sale right now with two other Air Music synths. I might just purchase this for the other two synths. Loom is worth the price alone.

Serious, this is a total steal just for Loom!

http://www.pluginboutique.com/product/1 ... -Exclusive

Worth checking out also if you already own Razor?

My fav Z3TA+ 2 is also on sale at the moment at Pluginboutique for $77.19.

I don't really need any new synths. Oddity 2 feels like the next soft synth for me if I ever get another, but I'm not sure I need that at all as Z3TA+ 2 gets more work all the time in my sets. It gives me tingles just using it, just as Razor does when I hit the magic spots.

It's quite likely my next bigger purchase will be a physical machine for just the soft synths I use.

Yes, I haven't really bothered with Razor yet quite honestly, got it in Ultimate a while ago and thought it sounded OK, but Loom right away is more detailed in it's approach.

Z3ta+2 is well underrated for sure, along with Syn'ix by Xils, and Absynth (because it's bee around forever more than any other reason).

[Stromkraft]

Yes, I haven't really bothered with Razor yet quite honestly, got it in Ultimate a while ago and thought it sounded OK, but Loom right away is more detailed in it's approach.

You feel the Loom factory presets are representative for what you can do with it? Usually this is not the case, but some companies do better presets than others. Some of the Reaktor synths have great presets in my opinion, but more or less 90% of the presets in Z3TA+ 2, FM8, Massive, are not that good. However, when you start to get into programming your own sounds with these you realize how fantastic all of them can sound. I ask because I don't have the time to evaluate it fully currently.

Z3ta+2 is well underrated for sure, along with Syn'ix by Xils, and Absynth (because it's bee around forever more than any other reason).

Yeah, I have Absynth installed since 18 months or so and haven't used it yet. You see what I mean? I don't need any new sound sources but I do need finishing tracks (pointing the finger at myself).

[Machinesworking]

Yeah, I have Absynth installed since 18 months or so and haven't used it yet. You see what I mean? I don't need any new sound sources but I do need finishing tracks (pointing the finger at myself).

Don't buy anything new then, IMO Absynth compliments Razor and Z3ta+2 quite well.

[deva]

Absynth is one of those synths I was interested in due to reputation... every 6 months or so, I open it again and explore a bit and then remember why I never use it. I just don't like the sound of it and the GUI seems really clunky