Best digital synthesizer software

Their latest flagship synth, the Waldorf Quantum, is a hybrid polysynth beast. This key monster sports a premium Fatar TP8 keybed ; one of the best you will play on any synth.

The Quantum is an eight-voice synth; each voice has three oscillators and two filters. That means you have a combined 24 oscillators with 16 analog filters. Voices can be split or layered, and a pair of AUX audio outputs are available specifically for multitimbral mode. Each of the stereo oscillators has four synthesis algorithms available; wavetable, classical, granular sampler, and resonator.

There are also six LFOs and six Loopable envelopes with multistage modulation. The Quantum is designed to inspire creativity, and with space for up to 10, preset voices , the possibilities are endless.

Adding to the sonic possibilities are some lovely master effects , like reverb, flanger, and drive. Every effect has a separate section for each timbre. The built-in arpeggiator has seven algorithms and multiple sort orders, which are great for creating random patterns. As a sequencer, the Quantum is capable of step recording, scale-based pitch quantization, and parameter automation. Sampling is also a big part of the Quantum, especially with functions like granular sampling.

The thing that ties everything together is a beautiful multi-touch display that shows every aspect of your sound design in stunning detail. Whatever way you look at it, the high-end Waldorf Quantum is an absolute beast. It does just about everything, and it does it all very well indeed. As far as sound design goes, the Quantum goes more in-depth than any other synth on our list.

In any synth review, it would be difficult to take any points away from the Quantum. Arturia has a talent for taking the essence of vintage sound and delivering it in a modern package. The MatrixBrute is a key synth with velocity-sensitive keys and aftertouch. One of the most noticeable things on the top panel is the massive array of matrix buttons. These buttons let you easily route the signal, instantly recall presets, and set up sequences. The front panel is quite busy, relatively speaking, but it makes for simple, hand-on navigation without any menus or shift functions.

The sound is then shaped via the Steiner-Parker or ladder filters that provide a broad range of tonal character. You can be as expressive as you like ; the MatrixBrute functions in monophonic, paraphonic, and duophonic modes.

There is a built-in step sequencer that adds motion to your patches and can create some very complex rhythms. The MatrixBrute from Arturia is a fantastic little synth. There are buttons, knobs, and faders everywhere. But, once you get to grips with it, you soon realize that having physical controls for everything rather than menu diving is a blessing. The MatrixBrute is a flexible synth with all the warmth and dirt of analog, and the convenience of digital control.

The sequencer is capable of creating intricate patterns, and the overall sound is nice and aggressive, living up to the Brute family name. Could we even consider putting our list together without including a Moog synth? Absolutely not! We have gone with the newest of the lot, the Moog Grandmother, maybe a surprising choice for some.

But, the mix of affordability and quality is why we picked it out. The Grandmother is a semi-modular analog synth with a note Fatar keybed. There are dual analog oscillators with triangle, square, and saw waveshapes. The utility stage features a bipolar attenuator and a patchable 1-pole high-pass filter.

It generally follows a typically Moog pattern, but the addition of a dedicated envelope sustain fader is a lovely touch. As a semi-modular synth, there is no patching required, but there are 41 patch points. The Grandmother comes with built-in spring reverb, not an emulation, a real analog spring reverb. Best of all, it sounds like a Moog, and that built-in spring reverb is the icing on the cake.

Novation is well-known for making beginner-friendly and budget-friendly gear. So, it may come as a surprise to some people that they are masters in the serious synth world, too. The Novation Peak is an eight-voice polyphonic desktop synth with immense creative power. Each oscillator utilizes the traditional waveshapes as well as 60 digital wavetables.

The numerically controlled New Oxford Oscillators provide a wealth of options to run through the gorgeous analog multimode filter. Modulation is key with the Peak; you can assign 16 direct modulation instances to make your patch more interesting. On top of that, you have a slot modulation matrix to use in lots of creative ways. For example, you could use aftertouch to control the waveshape of a particular oscillator. The onboard effects include high-quality delays, reverbs, and chorus.

Distortion can be applied pre or post filter per voice, which makes it more versatile than the average distortion. There is also a master distortion that works independently. The latest firmware update for the Novation Peak has come with some important improvements.

Envelopes now feature a hold stage up to ms as well as being able to loop the attack and delay stages. It also comes with lots of new preset sounds that showcase the power of the Peak and the latest firmware. It then has one somewhat polarizing characteristic; it has a very distinct sound.

For us, the distinct sound is positive, but like anything else, some will love it, some will hate it. If you produce electronic music that leans towards the darker side, we think you will love it. If you are looking to make brighter, happier, pop music, you might hate it. Aside from how it sounds, the question you need to ask yourself is, do you need a keyboard?

Many people feel more in-tune musically when they have a keyboard. Despite not being rack-mountable, it looks great on your desk if you have space! The Nord Lead A1 is no exception and could be their most intuitive synth to date.

The Nord Lead A1 is an analog modeling synth that delivers authentic analog warmth in a digital machine. The Lead A1 comes with a note Fatar keybed note polyphony , which is extremely playable. The most impressive thing about the Lead A1 is the workflow.

It is purpose-built for creating, selecting, and loading patches as quickly as possible. From swirling pads, thumping synth bass, to 80s synth brass, and soaring leads, the A1 does it all. As well as a keyboard split function, the A1 is 4-part multi-timbral, so you can create some gorgeous layered patches. Onboard effects such as chorus, phaser, and drive are available individually per section. An LFO with five waveforms is available, as well as low-pass, high-pass, and band-pass filters.

Rounding off the filters are transistor and diode ladder filter emulations of Mini and TB Check out our workshop to find out how. Used by the likes of Roger Linn, Surge is a free, open-source software synth that was, until , a paid product. Each patch is split into two Scenes for layering up different textures. Surge has some built-in effects, including a reverb based on all-pass filters and delays, a flanger with extreme tuning and feedback options, and Rotary Speaker, which models the iconic Leslie Rotary cabinet.

Despite its simplicity, with three oscillators, several different filters and a pleasing amount of modulation capabilities, it can make some seriously powerful sounds. Built-in effects such as a reverb, bitcrusher and Roland Juno-style chorus mode make for some fat and heavy patches. The PG-8X is based on the legendary JX-8P, an analogue subtractive six-voice synth with digitally-controlled oscillators and a separate programmer, the PG You can also learn how to make an entire track with the PG-8X in our workshop.

The voice VST3 plug-in is still in beta but features 11 oscillators, over 30 different waveforms and 12 different filters. Podolski was initially developed in but has had many updates, the most recent of which is 1. Although the size of this synthesizer is compact, it actually houses that pure analog sound you'll find in some of the high-end large models.

Why We Liked It - If we're talking about price to performance ratio, no other synthesizer can beat the Arturia MicroBrute Analog Synthesizer, giving it a well-earned spot on our list. It's arguably one of the smallest modern synthesizers — but small in size only. The sound that comes out of this little guy is massive. This synthesizer has all the brilliant sound characteristics of the UltraNova packed into a compact size. It doesn't matter who you are, a gigging musician, sound producer, or just love creating music for fun — this synth has everything you need.

The editing controls and the massive sound courtesy of the Nova sound engine make it a great choice if you're in the market for a new synth. Why We Liked It - Whether you want to add that extra spice to your live performances or just want to create good music in the studio , the Novation MiniNova Analog Modeling Synthesizer is just the right companion for you.

It's an amazing mix of quality sound, ease of use, and looks! It was back in that Korg first came up with the microKorg. Now for its 15th anniversary, Korg has released this amazing synthesizer, featuring all the qualities of the microKorg with a majorly improved design. The interface is easy to use, allowing you to be able to focus on creating music. This is just another reason why Korg is one of the best synth makers in the world.

Wants vs. Needs- Make a list of any additional features you'd like to help narrow down your search. Does your synthesizer have to have built-in memory? Should it be MIDI compatible? Are you looking for a synthesizer that also acts as a vocoder? These are all factors to take into consideration in order to find the best piece of equipment for your needs.

This synth combines high-performance with vintage charm. Massive sound, hands-on easy to use interface, all at an affordable price. Out of all the many great sounding synths, the Korg Volca Keys Analog Synthesizer is hands down the best. It's easy to use and has one knob per function and three true analog tones. You can get quantized free flowing loops from the 16 step sequencer.

If you have other Volca instruments, you can sync them with this synthesizer. It's portable, and you can play it anywhere thanks to the built-in speakers. There's even a battery option if you want to go wireless. Why is it our top pick? The sound is truly versatile. It's a leading synthesizer designed for professional use.

Despite being a truly professional synth, anyone can play it. If you want an analog synth, this one is the best for you. It's small, but with correct use, you can produce some amazing sounds. You can't go wrong with a Korg synth — this company makes some of the best in the synth world. It has been around for decades and has seen various improvements. On the outside, it looks like the same old synth from but start playing it, and the sound improvements become obvious.

It's safe to say that this synthesizer has a vintage vibe to it. Be prepared to shell out a bit more cash for this vintage classic. It costs a lot more than your average analog synths but in return, you get some fat sounds that have a cool '70s vibe. This pocket synthesizer from Korg is one of the best values around.

The biggest advantage is that it's super portable and you can go analog wherever you like. It's batteries powered and will literally fit in your palm but this doesn't mean small power.

It has the same scale function as the Kaossilator. The four scales are chromatic, major, minor, and off. It's super cheap and which makes it the best choice if you're on a budget but don't want to sacrifice quality.

If you're a mobile musician, you'd be hard-pressed to do better than this. You have precise pitches similar to that of a digital piano. Much like the other synths in this article, it's incredibly easy to use so anyone can master it in no time. You'll be pleasantly surprised to see so many sound variations from this little synth.

A synthesizer is an electronic instrument which consists of several different modules which work together to produce a synthesized sound. The modules include oscillators, filters, modulation sources or envelope generators which all perform the same tasks as conventional instruments.

Synthesizers imitate instruments or generate new types of electrical sounds based on these instruments. They're usually controlled by a host of input devices like fingerboards, sequencers, wind controllers or electronic drums. They use many techniques to produce sound waves including additive synthesis, subtractive synthesis, wavetable synthesis, phase distortion synthesis, and physical modulation synthesis. Synthesizers are mostly either analog or digital and both have their own pros and cons.

They first hit the market in the '60s and '70s and gradually garnered popularity, becoming a widely used instrument in the pop world. It wasn't until the '80s and '90s that synthesizers became a major part of music production. Since then, musicians all over the world have been using them to create unique tunes and experiment with various instrumental sounds. Synthesizers also created keyboard workstations which are versatile and multipurpose.

How Does a Synthesizer Work? Synthesizers are able to copy an instrument or produce sounds by generating sound waves of distinct shapes and producing two or more tones simultaneously to generate a certain frequency. They're also able to change the volume of the sound to produce different ASDR envelope shapes.

The oscillators produce different sound waves and often combine those waves to generate more complex waves. Through controlling the attack, decay, and sustain, the synth is able to copy a particular instrument.

The pressure of the bow dictates the changes in volume or timbre. The fingers holding the strings on the fingerboard produces a vibrato. On a synthesizer, an oscillator produces sound. The filter will give it a tone similar to that of a violin. The envelope generator will give its timbre rise or fall.

And finally, a modulation source carries out the last act of introducing vibrato. This is how through different components a synthesizer is able to synthetically produce a sound that is similar to another instrument.

In a digital synthesizer, all this is achieved through digital signal processing. The difference between the two is pretty much what the difference between any analog and digital device is.